Thesis supervisor: Róbert Herold
Location of studies (in Hungarian): PTE ÁOK Pécs, Szigeti u. 12. Abbreviation of location of studies: ÁOK
Description of the research topic:
The digital world is an indispensable part of our everyday lives. However, there is very little information on how it affects mental health, what potential role it may play in the development of psychopathological symptoms, and whether or not it can be considered a risk factor for psychiatric illnesses. The available limited data so far suggests that digital life elicit significant changes in the quality of everyday interpersonal relationships and it may potentially affect self-esteem, mood or may provoke anxiety symptoms in proportion to the time spent in digital space. Some case reports also raised the possibility that frequent use of the Internet and social media could play a role in the development of psychotic symptoms. The aim of the research is to clarify whether digital device and social media (e.g Facebook, Instagram) usage can be considered a potential risk factor in the symptom formation of psychotic patients (schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, delusional disorder).