According to Psychiatric Quarterly, advocates and policymakers have raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of using social media. Berryman found that social media may be linked to some negative mental conditions such as loneliness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased empathy. Social media users have different lifestyles and ways of doing things, and some feel left out since they cannot meet the standards; this may gradually develop into suicidal thoughts because of feeling worthless. They carried out a study among university students in the southeastern part of the United States, which consisted of 467 participants, of whom 335 were females, and 130 were males. The population was constituted of 60.2% White, 16.5% Hispanic, 10.1% Black, 6.6% Asian, and 6.2% other races. This provides a global overview of the adverse effects of the use of social media, from gender and ethnicity aspects, which are important aspects for this research. There were concerns that Psychiatric Quarterly might be notably biased. However, research has shown it to be an internationally recognized peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes theoretical papers, original research work, and review articles regarding the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of psychiatric disability patients.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry article believes that social media negatively influences the users’ mental well-being; unfortunately, few people know about it. O’Reilly argues that social media usage is uncensored, thus giving a platform for the free expression of thoughts inconsiderate of the impact it would have on other users. Social media can expose users to online trolling and bullying. Individually or collectively, all these negative effects contribute to the development of mental health-related issues among the users. They contacted 3-month research among participants drawn from Leicester and London schools and reflected different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The participants described their understanding of mental health, the definition of concepts, their different personal experiences, social media use, and their personal opinions on the different social platforms. The research findings covered important aspects of understanding mental health, social media, and how they relate; this formed an important basis for this research. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry might be perceived to be biased. However, research indicates that it is a reputable international quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on child psychology and psychiatry.
Based on International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, one of the negative effects of capital punishment is the misuse by those in power to suppress and eliminate the opposition. Most dictatorial authorities take advantage of such judgments to retain their positions in power by silencing those talking ill about their leadership; freedom of expression in these countries is curtailed. Yap describes Singapore as one of the countries with strict rules against the abuse of drugs, the Misuses of Drugs Act, which has stringent measures for those who violate it. The country has used the law to retain capital punishments and other political repressive mechanisms against the opposition and her people. For this reason, the political leadership has absolute, unchallenged power, threatening democracy. In addition, no human rights defender groups will thrive in such a setup. The information and case scenario about Singapore is insightful for the research on the negative effects associated with capital punishment. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy is a globally recognized journal that publishes comprehensive research about challenges affecting criminal justice systems worldwide.
Soken-Huberty argues that capital punishment also called the death penalty, is wrong and has negative impacts that cannot be undone. She points out that The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment intends to protect people from subjection to inhumane treatment, which includes execution. This UN treaty has saved a lot of people from execution and granted them free and fair trials with multiple avenues of appealing judgments. The death penalty unfairly affects specific groups, including the mentally ill, Blacks, and the poor, who are the majority recipient of death row judgments. According to Mental Health America, 5-10% of death row prisoners had severe mental issues, while on other hand, Blacks made up over 40%. This information forms a background of comprehensive research on the adverse effects of capital punishment in countries that still uphold it. There might be concerns that Human Rights Careers is biased, but research indicates that the founder worked with International Secretariat at Amnesty International and is now a consultant and independent expert on international human rights.
According to Psychiatric Services, suicide is one of the leading reasons for suicide cases. Giants point out that up to 90% of people who commit suicide might have had mental disorders by the time they take their lives, and over one-quarter had sought mental health services a year before. In the two scenarios above, the victims were not getting pharmacological or psychological treatment, while others were not adhering to treatment. In unique cases, some victims had more than one mental disorder and did not receive appropriate treatment for both cases; a single case was treated while the other remained untreated, leading to complications such as suicidal ideation. The study was conducted on 12,909 patients from England and Wells who committed suicide within 12 months of mental health care between 2001 and 2016. All patients had depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, or bipolar affective disorder. This information is very critical for the success of this research on mental illness as one of the leading causes of suicide. The credibility of Psychiatric Services is unbiased since it is published by the American Psychiatric Association, a globally recognized professional organization of psychiatrists and trainees.
Based on the American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, drug and substance abuse greatly contributes to the number of suicidal cases recorded. Drug abuse is a risk factor for suicide attempts, suicides, and both fatal and non-fatal overdoses. Persons with alcohol dependence have 10 times greater of attempting or committing suicide, while those who use drugs have a 14 times greater risk. Esang argues that of all the deaths by suicide, alcohol-related is 22%, opiate is 20%, marijuana is 10.2%, cocaine is 4.6%, and amphetamine is 3.4%. The use of drugs affects rational thinking, and the users feel worthless to the point of finding “solace” in committing suicide. People of old age are at higher risk of committing suicide than younger people due to substance use and, in most cases, psychiatric illness. This is resourceful information in the research about substance abuse as a major contributor to suicide incidences. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal is a credible source since a product of American Psychiatric Association Publishing, a reputable publisher of mental health, psychiatry, and behavioral science materials, serves as a forum for medical students, fellows, and psychiatry residents.
Works Cited
Berryman, Chloe, et al. “Social Media Use and Mental Health among Young Adults.” Psychiatric Quarterly, vol. 89, no. 2, 2017, pp. 307–314.
Esang, Michael, and Saeed Ahmed. “A Closer Look at Substance Use and Suicide.” American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, vol. 13, no. 6, 2018, pp. 6–8.
Gianatsi, Myrsini, et al. “Treatment of Mental Illness Prior to Suicide: A National Investigation of 12,909 Patients, 2001–2016.” Psychiatric Services, vol. 71, no. 8, 2020, pp. 772–778.
O’Reilly, Michelle, et al. “Is Social Media Bad for Mental Health and Wellbeing? Exploring the Perspectives of Adolescents.” Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 4, 2018, pp. 601–613.
Soken-Huberty, Emmaline. “5 Reasons Why The Death Penalty Is Wrong.” Human Rights Careers, n.d.
Yap, Ariel Yin, and Shih Joo Tan. “Capital Punishment in Singapore: A Critical Analysis of State Justifications from 2004 to 2018.” International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, vol. 9, no. 2, 2020, pp. 133–151.