Health security

Mental health doctors are told to check social media use of every child referred to them amid growing concerns of the impact of the internet

Every child assessed for mental health issues must be asked about their social media use, psychiatrists have been told.

The advice, issued by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said clinicians should check if youngsters are spending too much time online.

It comes amid growing evidence of possible links between poor mental health and content seen on the internet. 

Experts estimate the average 14-year-old is now using social media for three to four hours a day. 

At this level of use, 27 per cent of youngsters have symptoms of mental health problems – compared to 12 per cent of those who do not use social media at all.

MPs this month said addiction to social media should potentially be classed as a disease as they called for tough new regulations to protect children from an ‘online Wild West’.

They said sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should be regulated by Ofcom and forced to abide by a statutory code of conduct.