Using Facebook to look at old photos of yourself could be used as a way of lifting bad moods and helping treat mental health issues, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth.
The pictures we often post are reminders of a positive past event. When in the grip of a negative mood, it is too easy to forget how good we often feel. Our positive posts can remind us of this
The university’s Alice Good has found that almost 90 per cent of users of the social network access the site to look at their own wall posts and 75 per cent look at their own photos when they are feeling low.
She says that such “self-soothing” use of Facebook is beneficial to the user’s mood, especially if they are prone to feeling low.
And she believes this contradicts previous research which suggests that looking at Facebook can be bad for your mental health.
The survey of 144 Facebook users found that people often use the social network to reminisce, using old photos and wall posts as a form of comfort.
Looking back at older photos and wall posts was the main activity and the one that made them happiest. The survey also found that people who have experienced mental health issues were particularly comforted by the site.
Good said: “The results indicate we could use self-soothing as a form of treatment for low moods.”
She added: “Although this was only a small study, we will go on to study larger groups to see if the results remain consistent.”
Psychologist Clare Wilson, also of the University of Portsmouth, said: “Facebook is marketed as a means of communicating with others. Yet this research shows we are more likely to use it to connect with our past selves, perhaps when our present selves need reassuring.
“The pictures we often post are reminders of a positive past event. When in the grip of a negative mood, it is too easy to forget how good we often feel. Our positive posts can remind us of this.”
Good’s study has concluded that looking at comforting photos, known as reminiscent therapy, could be an effective method of treating mental health. Scientists already know that reminiscent therapy helps older people with memory problems.
The use of old photos, items and films can provide a way for people with short-term memory loss to feel comforted by objects that are familiar to them. This new research shows that it could also be an effective treatment for people with depression or anxiety.
The act of self-soothing is an essential tool in helping people to calm down, especially if they have an existing mental health condition. If a patient self-soothes, there is less chance of a problem escalating.
The study also found that using mobile phones was the most popular way of accessing Facebook with 94 per cent having their phone on them at all times.
Published in the journal Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, the study is part of a larger project that looks at how applications can support well-being and effectively self-soothe.