Currently submitted to: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Apr 22, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: May 1, 2026 - Jun 26, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Barriers to Expressing Emotions in the Digital Age: Personal, Social, and Online Determinants Among Youth in Erbil City — A Cross-Sectional Study, 2025–2026.
ABSTRACT
Background:
: In Erbil City, Iraq, youth increasingly face difficulties expressing emotions in both offline and online contexts, influenced by cultural norms, personal inhibition, and digital engagement.
Objective:
This study aimed to identify the personal, social, and digital determinants associated with barriers to emotional expression among youth in Erbil, with particular attention to platform-specific digital behaviors.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 4th to September 25th, 2025, across multiple public and educational settings in Erbil using a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire included demographic information and the Barriers to Emotional Expression in the Digital Age Scale (BEEDA v1.0), which measured personal, social, and digital barriers to emotional expression. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0 and JASP version 0.18.0.
Results:
A total of 385 participants were included in the study. The main personal barriers were staying strong and silent (M = 2.89, SD 1.16) and guilt for burdening others (M = 2.77, SD 1.14). Key social barriers involved fear of emotional misuse (M = 2.82, SD 1.19) and pressure to appear strong (M = 2.63, SD 1.18), while digital barriers included fear of misunderstanding posts (M = 2.68, SD 1.19) and deleting messages before sending (M = 2.15, SD 1.17). Low family support and extended online engagement (>6 hours/day; aOR 8.92, 95% CI 3.78-21.05) were most strongly associated with high emotional expression barriers.
Conclusions:
A total of 385 participants were included in the study. The main personal barriers were staying strong and silent (M = 2.89, SD 1.16) and guilt for burdening others (M = 2.77, SD 1.14). Key social barriers involved fear of emotional misuse (M = 2.82, SD 1.19) and pressure to appear strong (M = 2.63, SD 1.18), while digital barriers included fear of misunderstanding posts (M = 2.68, SD 1.19) and deleting messages before sending (M = 2.15, SD 1.17). Low family support and extended online engagement (>6 hours/day; aOR 8.92, 95% CI 3.78-21.05) were most strongly associated with high emotional expression barriers. Clinical Trial: Not Applicable
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