Araştırma Makalesi

Validity and reliability study of the adolescent version of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users

Cilt: 19 Sayı: 1 16 Ocak 2026
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Validity and reliability study of the adolescent version of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users

Abstract

Purpose: Adolescents are increasingly exposed to potentially harmful online content as social media use becomes widespread, yet there is no validated tool specifically designed to assess secondary traumatic stress in this age group. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users, originally developed for adults, in adolescents. Materials and methods: A total of 333 adolescents aged 13-18 years participated, including both clinical and community samples. The clinical sample was recruited from the outpatient clinic of child and adolescent psychiatry, while the community sample was collected online using a snowball sampling method. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure (intrusion, arousal, and avoidance) after removing two low-loading items, yielding acceptable model fit indices (CFI=0.95, RMSEA=0.06). Strong correlations with Brief Symptom Inventory subscales provided evidence for criterion validity, while measurement invariance analyses confirmed the scale’s applicability across clinical and non-clinical groups. Internal consistency was high, with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega values ranging from 0.76 to 0.89. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users is a reliable and valid measure for assessing social media–related secondary traumatic stress in adolescents, supporting its use in identifying vulnerable youth and guiding early intervention efforts.

Keywords

Destekleyen Kurum

Çalışma süresince her hangi bir mali destek alınmamıştır.

Etik Beyan

Pamukkale Üniversitesi Girişimsel Olmayan Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulu, 6 Mayıs 2025 tarihinde yapılan toplantısında 09 sayılı kararla çalışmayı onaylamıştır.

Teşekkür

Yazarlar katılımcılara çalışmaya olan katkılarından dolayı teşekkür ederler.

Kaynakça

  1. Kepios. Global Social Media Statistics. DataReportal. Available at: https://datareportal.com/social-media-users. Accessed: October 12, 2025
  2. Ofcom. A window into young children’s online worlds. Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/a-window-into-young-childrens-online-worlds. Accessed October 12, 2025
  3. Nagata JM, Memon Z, Talebloo J, et al. Prevalence and Patterns of Social Media Use in Early Adolescents. Acad Pediatr. 2025;25(4):102784. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2025.102784
  4. Branje S. Adolescent identity development in context. Curr Opin Psychol. 2022;45:101286. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.11.006
  5. Erikson EH. Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company; 1968.
  6. Cataldo I, Lepri B, Neoh MJY, Esposito G. Social Media Usage and Development of Psychiatric Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Review. Front Psychiatry. 2021;11:508595. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.508595
  7. Kelly Y, Zilanawala A, Booker C, Sacker A. Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health: Findings From the UK Millennium Cohort Study. EClinicalMedicine. 2019;6:59-68. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2018.12.005
  8. Winstone L, Mars B, Haworth CM, Kidger J. Types of social media use and digital stress in early adolescence. J early adolescence, 2023;43(3):294-319. doi:10.1177/02724316221105560

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Psikiyatri

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

16 Ocak 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

13 Ekim 2025

Kabul Tarihi

3 Aralık 2025

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 19 Sayı: 1

Kaynak Göster

AMA
1.Kabukçu Başay B, Palamutçu Kılıç BS, Balkıs M, vd. Validity and reliability study of the adolescent version of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users. Pam Tıp Derg. 2026;19(1):127-140. doi:10.31362/patd.1802276
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