Abstract
Background: Mental health stigma remains a major barrier to care-seeking globally, particularly among young adults. Social media has become a primary source of health information for this demographic, yet its association with mental health stigma, whether through awareness dissemination or reinforcement of negative stereotypes remains poorly understood in Nigerian university settings. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 378 undergraduate students (aged 18-25) at Bingham University, Karu, using multi-stage random sampling across seven departments. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used. Of 378 questionnaires distributed, 369 were properly completed (response rate: 97.62%). Data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS version 25.0. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Bingham University Teaching Hospital (Approval No.: BUTH/REC/2025/014). Results: WhatsApp (93.0%), Instagram (78.9%), and Facebook (72.1%) were the most-used platforms. Social media was the leading reported source of mental health information (37.7%). Students reported that stigma prevents peers from seeking help (M = 4.18) and that people with mental health conditions are unfairly judged (M = 4.14). Increased awareness was reported (M = 4.12), while associations with misinformation (M = 4.03) and trivialization through humor and memes (M = 3.96) were also prominent. No significant gender difference was found in perceptions of social media's association with mental health views (chi-sq = 1.247, p = 0.536). Conclusion: Social media is associated with a dual pattern, serving both as a primary platform for mental health awareness and as a channel correlated with harmful content and stigma reinforcement. Targeted digital campaigns, influencer partnerships, and digital literacy training are recommended.