Page 81 - JCBP-3-2

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Coping with a crisis

resilience scores. However, there were indications of a 3.3. Mean score analyses
relationship between social media use and mental health, Further analysis showed significant differences between
as social media intensity was related to both anxiety the faculty/staff group and the student group (Table 5). The
(r = 0.21, P < 0.05) and stress (r = 0.21, P < 0.05). The results of the Mann–Whitney U-test revealed that faculty/
number of social media friends was associated with anxiety staff (Md = 3.58, n = 91) had statistically higher levels
(r = 0.27, P < 0.05), but not with depression or stress. of resilience compared to the student group (Md = 3.00,
Conversely, the number of hours spent on social media per n = 192; U = 6527.50, z = −3.57, P = 0.001). Faculty/
day did not show any relationship with the mental health staff (Md = 19, n = 92) had lower levels of social media
variables. intensity than students (Md = 21, n = 191; U = 6160.00,
When examining the correlation results of the student- z = −4.08, p = 0.001) and lower social media hours (faculty/
only sample (Table 4), a somewhat similar pattern to the staff: Md = 1.08, n = 58; students: Md = 3.33, n = 161;
overall sample emerged with the DASS scales, but fewer U = 1394.50, z = −7.92, P = 0.001) as well as lower social
of the correlations with the social media measures were media friends (faculty/staff: Md = 2.47, n = 82; students:
significantly related. Spiritual coping showed negative Md = 2.70, n = 164; U = 4984.00, z = −3.31, P = 0.001).
correlations with the three DASS scales (Anxiety [r = −0.16, Regarding mental health, faculty/staff reported lower levels
P ≤ 0.05], depression [r = −0.29, P ≤ 0.01], and stress of anxiety (faculty/staff: Md = 4, n = 92; students: Md = 14,
[r = −0.18, P ≤ 0.05]) and a positive relationship with brief n = 191; U = 3859.50, z = −7.67, P = 0.001), depression
resilience scores (r = 0.33, P ≤ 0.01). The social media (faculty/staff: Md = 6, n = 93; students: Md = 14, n = 188;
variables of intensity and number of friends did not correlate U = 5628.50, z = −4.87, P = 0.001), and stress (faculty/staff:
with spiritual coping, except for hours spent on social media Md = 12, n = 93; students: Md = 18, n = 192; U = 5539.00,
(r = −0.16, P < 0.05). This represents a shift from the overall z = −5.21, P = 0.001) compared to students.
sample, where social media intensity scores had a negative Three gender differences emerged with females in the
correlation with spiritual coping. In this student sample, sample reporting higher levels of spiritual coping (female:
resilience showed a strong negative correlation with DASS Md = 30, n = 205; male: Md = 27.5, n = 60; U = 5079.00,
scores, similar to the pattern observed with spiritual coping z = −2.05, P = 0.040), non-religious spiritual coping (female:
(Anxiety [r = −0.45, P ≤ 0.01], depression [r = −0.41, P ≤ Md = 25, n = 206; male: Md = 272, n = 60; U = 4617.50,
0.05], and stress [r = −0.47, P ≤ 0.05]). However, resilience z = −2.99, P = 0.003), and anxiety (female: Md = 10, n = 210;
correlated significantly with only one social media variable, male: Md = 6, n = 61; U = 5043.50, z = −2.54, P = 0.011)
hours spent on social media (r = −0.41, P ≤ 0.05), and than their male counterparts and a trend toward a lower
showed no associations with other social media measures. level of resilience that just missed significance (female:
The mental health variables were related to hours spent per Md = 3, n = 211; male: Md = 3.17, n = 61; U = 5409.00,
day on social media (Anxiety [r = 0.26, P ≤ 0.05], depression z = −1.90, P = 0.057).
[r = 0.20, P ≤ 0.05], and stress [r = 0.24, P ≤ 0.05]). Neither
the intensity of social media use nor the number of social 4. Discussion
media friends showed a relationship with the mental health Evidence in the literature points to a relationship between
scales. spirituality and mental health. As noted, spirituality has

Table 4. Correlations among spiritual coping, brief resilience, social media intensity, and DASS‑21 scales for students only
(n=192)
Measure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1. Spiritual coping ---
2. Brief Resilience 0.33** ---
3. Social Media Intensity −0.14 −0.08 ---
4. DASS-21 Anxiety −0.16* −0.45** 0.04 ---
5. DASS-21 Depression −0.29** −0.41** 0.01 0.64** ---
6. DASS-12 Stress −0.18* −0.47** 0.04 0.69** 0.67** ---
7. Social media hours −0.16* −0.26** 0.47** 0.26* 0.20* 0.24* ---
8. Social media friends a 0.06 0.13 0.23** 0.02 −0.06 −0.08 0.13 ---
Note: Logarithmic transformed variable; *P≤0.05, **P≤0.01.
a
Abbreviation: DASS-21: Depression, anxiety, and stress scales.

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 75 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4563