Excessive Use of WhatsApp for Venting Increases Depression Risk

Research from the University of Castilla-La Mancha warns that excessive use of WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps for venting problems increases the risk of depression. The study, led by researcher Dolores Fernández Pérez, has been published in the scientific journal "Personality and Individual Differences" and is titled "Association between Trait Rumination and Co-rumination in Instant Messaging and its Possible Relation to Depressive Symptoms."

According to this study, repeatedly sharing personal problems via WhatsApp (co-rumination) is associated with more depressive symptoms, especially among young women. This research analysed the interaction between trait rumination (the tendency to think repetitively about negative situations), in-person co-rumination (conversations between friends focused on negative feelings without resolution), and its digital version through instant messaging apps like WhatsApp. The study was conducted with a sample of 329 individuals aged between 18 and 35 years.

Dolores Fernández explains that "co-rumination involves repeatedly sharing negative emotions with another person, which, while it can strengthen emotional bonds, also reinforces negative thinking patterns and increases the risk of depression and anxiety." This phenomenon, common in adolescence and youth, has now shifted to digital applications where people of all ages are spending more time, and where conversations are extended and amplified.

The study's results show that women scored higher compared to men in the use of instant messaging and depressive symptoms. The aim of the study, according to Dolores Fernández, was "to understand how digital platforms can amplify maladaptive emotional processes, which can help consider gender, age, and technology use when designing interventions to prevent or treat depression."

"In a context where a large part of emotional interactions occur through screens, this work invites reflection on how we talk about our problems and what impact it has to do so repeatedly without seeking solutions," adds the researcher.