Comparative social media use and the mental health of mothers with high levels of perfectionism

Padoa, T; Berle, D; Roberts, L

Comparative social media use and the mental health of mothers with high levels of perfectionism

Padoa, T Berle, D

Roberts, L

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2018, 37 (7), pp. 514 - 535
Issue Date:: 2018-09-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Padoa, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Berle, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-2220	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Roberts, L https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4065-0246	en_US
dc.date.available	2018-04-23	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-09-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2018, 37 (7), pp. 514 - 535	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0736-7236	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127654
dc.description.abstract	© 2018 Guilford Publications, Inc. Social media is thought to communicate idealized images and discourses of motherhood. As such, it may present as a risk factor for poor mental health in mothers who strive for perfection and compare themselves to the ideals presented on social media. The present study examined the influence of Facebook and Instagram on the relationship between perfectionism in mothers and their mental health. A sample of 201 mothers completed an online survey. Two dimensions of perfectionism were assessed: Self-Orientated Parenting Perfectionism (SOPP) and Societal-Prescribed Parenting Perfectionism (SPPP). Mediation models were conducted to examine social media frequency and social comparison respectively on the relationship between perfectionism and maternal mental health. Results revealed that for mothers with SOPP, the process of social comparison with other mothers on social media contributed to symptoms of anxiety and depression. The amount of time engaging in social media however, had no impact. In contrast, for mothers with SPPP, the amount of time spent on Facebook contributed to symptoms of depression and anxiety, while the process of social comparison led to anxiety symptoms alone. Social comparison appears to be important for perfectionistic mothers who use social media, as this may contribute to negative mental health outcomes.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1521/jscp.2018.37.7.514	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Social Psychology	en_US
dc.title	Comparative social media use and the mental health of mothers with high levels of perfectionism	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	37	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Graduate School of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	7	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	37	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018 Guilford Publications, Inc. Social media is thought to communicate idealized images and discourses of motherhood. As such, it may present as a risk factor for poor mental health in mothers who strive for perfection and compare themselves to the ideals presented on social media. The present study examined the influence of Facebook and Instagram on the relationship between perfectionism in mothers and their mental health. A sample of 201 mothers completed an online survey. Two dimensions of perfectionism were assessed: Self-Orientated Parenting Perfectionism (SOPP) and Societal-Prescribed Parenting Perfectionism (SPPP). Mediation models were conducted to examine social media frequency and social comparison respectively on the relationship between perfectionism and maternal mental health. Results revealed that for mothers with SOPP, the process of social comparison with other mothers on social media contributed to symptoms of anxiety and depression. The amount of time engaging in social media however, had no impact. In contrast, for mothers with SPPP, the amount of time spent on Facebook contributed to symptoms of depression and anxiety, while the process of social comparison led to anxiety symptoms alone. Social comparison appears to be important for perfectionistic mothers who use social media, as this may contribute to negative mental health outcomes.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127654