Volume 31, Issue 1 (Continuously Updated 2025)                   IJPCP 2025, 31(1): 0-0 | Back to browse issues page

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Ahmadrad F, Saberi Zafarghandi M B, Azami E, Aqeli M, Deylami Azdi S. A Canonical Correlation Analysis of Virtual Social Media Usage Patterns and Psychosocial Outcomes. IJPCP 2025; 31 (1)
URL: http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-4509-en.html
A Canonical Correlation Analysis of Virtual Social Media Usage Patterns and Psychosocial Outcomes
Farid Ahmadrad1 , Mohammad Bagher Saberi Zafarghandi2 , Erfan Azami3 , Mustafa Aqeli4 , Sahar Deylami Azdi5
1- Department of Assessment and Measurement, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran. , F_ahmadrad@atu.ac.ir
2- Department of Addiction, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Department of Assessment and Measurement, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
4- Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
5- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences - Dr. Meftah, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Rasht, Iran.
Keywords: Social media, Canonical correlation analysis, Mental health
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Introduction
Human societies, in pursuit of greater control and efficiency, have designed and developed advanced technologies. One of the important technologies is information and communication technology, which has great potential to increase the speed of communication and the flow of information. Virtual social media (VSM) platforms have become an integral part of People’s lives, particularly among younger age groups with high daily usage rates. In this context, social media use serves as a critical factor in either amplifying or mitigating the psychological and behavioral consequences of these platforms. In addition to the usage rate, factors such as manner of use, timing, purpose of engagement, and cognitive-emotional involvement with the content play significant roles in shaping these outcomes. The present study aimed to examine the relationships between patterns of VSM use (e.g., during meals, before bedtime, and after waking up in the morning) and psychosocial outcomes (social, behavioral, emotional, leisure, educational/academic).

Methods 
This is a descriptive-correlational study using the canonical correlation analysis. The study population consisted of all residents of Tehran, Iran, during the period of 2020-2021. Inclusion criteria were: residence in Tehran, active use of VSM, willingness to participate in the study, and age ≥18 years. Exclusion criteria were incomplete or invalid responses and the presence of severe mental or cognitive disorders. Sampling was conducted using a multi-stage cluster method. Initially, four districts were randomly selected from among Tehran’s 22 municipal districts. Subsequently, participants meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited using a convenience sampling from the selected districts. Out of 426 completed questionnaires, 13 were excluded due to missing data, and the final analysis was conducted on data from 413 participants. Data collection was conducted using the Social Media Sites Addiction Scale - Iranian version (SMSAS-IR). Data analysis was performed in SPSS software version 27 and R software.

Results
The results of the canonical correlation analysis indicated that among five sets of canonical variables, only the first set yielded a significant correlation coefficient (r= 0.72, P<0.001), explaining 47% of the variance shared by two-variable sets. This value reflects a strong and statistically significant relationship between VSM usage patterns and psychosocial outcomes. As presented in Table 1, among usage patterns, those with the highest canonical loadings included: daily usage (0.85), use before bedtime (0.75), and use immediately after waking up (0.73). The duration of VSM use demonstrated the lowest canonical loading (0.26).



Among the psychosocial outcomes, the variables with the highest canonical loading included compulsion (0.46), mood swings (0.4), harmful leisure activities (0.38), and extensive interactions (0.32). These results indicate that maladaptive use of VSM can lead to mood changes, behavioral addictions, and harmful forms of leisure. In contrast, online social interaction (0.09) and academic/educational performance (0.18) had lower canonical loadings.

Conclusions 
The findings of this study indicate that maladaptive use of VSM is significantly associated with psychosocial harms. Daily VSM use, VSM use before bedtime, and VSM use after waking up were more powerful predictors of psychosocial harms. These results suggest that both the percentage and time of VSM use can contribute to psychological and social problems. Compulsive use and mood swings were the key outcomes of maladaptive VSM use. Our findings underscore the importance of time management in using VSM and the enhancement of users’ knowledge of the psychosocial harms associated with maladaptive VSM use. In this regard, development and implementation of educational programs are needed to prevent mood and behavioral disorders among people. 

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.IUMS.REC.1398.1317). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before data collection. 

Funding
This article is part of a research project, funded by School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Authors contributions
Conceptualization, methodology, validation, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, original draft preparation, review & editing, visualization, supervision, project administration: Farid Ahmadrad; Methodology, validation, investigation, review & editing, supervision: Mohammad Bagher Saberi Zafarghandi; Software, data curation, formal analysis, visualization, review & editing: Erfan Azami; Investigation, resources, data curation; review & editing: Mustafa Aqeli;  Investigation, resources, validation, review & editing: Sahar Deylami Azdi;

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants for their cooperation in this study.



 
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Type of Study: Original Research | Subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
Received: 2025/05/11 | Accepted: 2025/11/9 | Published: 2025/12/10
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