Digital social contacts predict reduced loneliness in chronic depression: an exploratory longitudinal study

Social media use (SMU) is linked to loneliness and mental health. Yet its effects especially in severe and persistent mental disorders, such as chronic depression (CD), remain underinvestigated. Therefore, this observational longitudinal study investigated how SMU patterns relate to loneliness in CD and whether rejection sensitivity moderates these associations. A total of 124 individuals with CD completed measures of loneliness, rejection sensitivity, social networks, and SMU at baseline and after 10 weeks. Baseline correlation analyses identified significant associations of greater digital contacts and lower loneliness (r = − .33, p < .001). Moderated regression controlling for offline contacts revealed that more frequent digital contacts predicted reduced loneliness over time among participants with high baseline loneliness (β = − 0.23, p = .026). Preliminary data implies that this effect may further be moderated by rejection sensitivity. The absence of significant effects in the reverse prediction model supports directional inference. While necessitating replication, these findings suggest that contact-oriented SMU may buffer loneliness in CD beyond offline contacts and emphasize the relevance of addressing digital behavior in clinical care.