TABLE 1:
SUMMARY OF SOCIAL MEDIA MENTAL HEALTH RECRUITMENT STUDIES
| Age of recruited participants | N | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult only | 125 | 176 | 71.0% |
| Both adults and children/adolescents | 33 | 176 | 18.8% |
| Children/adolescents only | 10 | 176 | 5.7% |
| Not reported | 8 | 176 | 4.6% |
| Gender of recruited participants | N | Total | % |
| Any gender | 140 | 176 | 79.6% |
| Female only | 23 | 176 | 13.1% |
| Male only | 10 | 176 | 5.7% |
| Transgender only | 3 | 176 | 1.7% |
| Study design | N | Total | % |
| Cross-sectional | 110 | 176 | 62.5% |
| Randomized controlled trial | 36 | 176 | 20.5% |
| Non-controlled trial | 20 | 176 | 11.4% |
| Prospective | 9 | 176 | 5.1% |
| Retrospective | 1 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Incentives (e.g., cash, gift card drawings) | 73 | 176 | 41.5% |
| Psychiatric diagnostic research areas | N | Total | % |
| Substance use disorders | 77 | 176 | 43.8% |
| Mood disorders | 27 | 176 | 15.3% |
| General mental health | 21 | 176 | 11.9% |
| Trauma & stress-related disorders | 15 | 176 | 8.5% |
| Suicidal ideation & self-injurious behaviors | 8 | 176 | 4.5% |
| Eating disorders | 7 | 176 | 4.0% |
| Anxiety disorders | 5 | 176 | 2.8% |
| Impulse control disorders | 5 | 176 | 2.8% |
| Mental healthcare delivery | 4 | 176 | 2.3% |
| Personality disorders | 3 | 176 | 1.7% |
| Pharmacology | 2 | 176 | 1.1% |
| Developmental disorders | 1 | 176 | 0.57% |
| Psychotic disorders | 1 | 176 | 0.57% |
| Social media platform(s) used | N | Total | % |
| Facebook only | 121 | 176 | 68.8% |
| Facebook & Twitter | 24 | 176 | 13.6% |
| Facebook & Instagram | 9 | 176 | 5.1% |
| Facebook & multiple other | 9 | 176 | 5.1% |
| Twitter only | 6 | 176 | 3.4% |
| Weibo only | 3 | 176 | 1.7% |
| Instagram only | 1 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Myspace only | 1 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Myspace & Mi Gente | 1 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Tumblr only | 1 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Advertising strategies | N | Total | % |
| Paid ads | 107 | 176 | 60.8% |
| Free posts to relevant groups/pages | 44 | 176 | 25.0% |
| Study page or profile | 40 | 176 | 22.7% |
| Posts to personal profiles | 11 | 176 | 6.3% |
| WebRDS | 7 | 176 | 4.0% |
| Direct contact with users based on content | 7 | 176 | 4.0% |
| Comparative metrics | N | Total | % |
| Social media only recruitment used | 76 | 176 | 43.2% |
| Equivalent/high final participant rate | 28 | 41 | 68.3% |
| More cost effective than some/all other methods | 10 | 18 | 55.6% |