The Impact of Excessive WeChat Use on Mental Health Among Medical Students: A Representative Nationwide Population-Based Study in China

Background: There are few studies of the effects of social media on health. This study examines the adverse mental health effects of excessive WeChat use among Chinese college students. Methods: A cross-sectional multistage survey sampling process was conducted among 11,463 undergraduates from 31 universities in China. Individual information, including demographic characteristics, WeChat use, was obtained by self report. Mental health status was measured by the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ). Both unadjusted and adjusted methods were considered in the analyses. Findings: Of 11,463 mobile phone users, 10,437 (91·0%) used WeChat. High frequency and long-time use prevalence was 19·3% and 31·2% respectively among WeChat users. The multilevel logistic regression model found that the high frequency (OR: 1·27, 95%:C.I: 1·02, 1·56) and long-time use (OR: 1·24, 95%C.I: 1·07, 1·44) were significantly associated with mental health disorders. Interpretation: The findings presented in this study provide new evidence of the harmful effects of excessive WeChat use on mental health among Chinese university students. These findings underscore the importance of preventing excessive WeChat use and can be used to reinforce the need for public education in China. Funding Statement: The National Nature Science Foundation of China (Major Project 71490733) and Global Bridges/IGLC, 2014SC1 (13498319). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Medical Center, Zhejiang University, and verbal consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.