Exploring the Landscape of Depression Content on Instagram: A Comprehensive Analysis of Relevance, Characteristics, and Quality

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a complex, medically relevant illness Depression is a major public health problem This research delves into the intricate landscape of depression-related content on Instagram, evaluating the relevance, characteristics, and quality of 500 posts across five prominent depression-related hashtags. This study offers insights into the dynamics of information dissemination on depression through this popular social media platform, shedding light on potential opportunities and challenges. Materials and Methods: A systematic analysis of 500 Instagram posts with five key depression-related hashtags was conducted, focusing on English content. Inclusion criteria ensured the relevance of each post. Categorization by type, collection of engagement metrics, and noting post-characteristics were performed. Quality and reliability assessments, along with statistical analyses, were compared among different groups. Results: The analysis revealed 392 relevant posts with images constituting 96.17% of the content. Forty-seven percent of the posts on Instagram were from the health and wellness industry, with 20.15% coming from doctors, 18.75% from survivors, and 12.5% from others, as Instagram is an effective marketing source for promotional content. Discussion: Exploring the content of depression unveiled insights into its etiology, symptoms, treatment, and support groups. Notably, promotional content underscores Instagram's role as a marketing platform. The assessment of post quality and reliability, presented in Table 4, highlights intriguing findings. Additionally, data stratification into healthcare professionals (Group A) and other sources (Group B) showed a statistically significant difference in the percentage of correct information, as shown in Tables 5 and 6. Conclusion: This comprehensive analysis contributes to a nuanced understanding of the content landscape of depression on Instagram, aiming to enrich the ongoing discourse on mental health communication in the digital age. By evaluating the relevance, characteristics, and quality, this study provides valuable insights into potential areas for improvement.

Keywords: depression, depression help, depression is real, depression awareness, depression support