Research digest: Digital technology and its impact on child mental health

Abstract

to for mental health screen time, vice versa. social media use is associated with mental health in young people but underlying processes are not well understood. i) assesses whether social media use is associated with adolescents’ depressive symptoms, and ii) investigates multiple potential explanatory pathways via online harassment, sleep, self-esteem and body image. We used population based data from the UK Cohort Study on 10,904 14 year olds. Multivariate regression and path used to examine associations between social media use and depressive symptoms. with 1–3 daily use: 3 < 5 h 26% increase in scores vs h for and Methods: The data were from 2 nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (2010, 2014) surveys across 44 European and North American countries. Psychosomatic health was assessed using 8 complaints and dichotomized as high or low. Discretionary time spent on passive (e.g., TV) and mentally active (e.g., electronic games, computer use) screen-based activities was categorized into 3 groups. Data were analyzed in 2021. Results: The study included 414,489 adolescents (average age, 13.6 [SD=1.63] years; 51.1% girls). Multilevel modeling showed that psychosomatic complaints increased monotonically once all forms of screen time exceeded 2 hours/day. Adolescents reporting high (>4 hours/day) TV time, compared with those reporting low (≤2 hours/day), had higher odds of reporting psychosomatic complaints with 67% higher odds (OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.62, 1.72) in boys and 71% (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.66, 1.75) in girls. High electronic game use was associated with psychosomatic complaints, with odds being 78% higher in boys (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.73, 1.84) and 88% higher in girls (OR=1.88, 95% CI=1.82, 1.94). Similar associations were found between computer use and psychosomatic complaints. Conclusions: Passive and mentally active screen time are adversely associated with psychosomatic complaints in a dose-dependent manner, with associations slightly stronger for active than passive screen time. This study supports limiting any type of screen time, either passive or active, to 2 hours/day to foster of used. during bedtime hours to minimize any harmful effects of screen time on sleep and wellbeing. Future research better account for the methodological limitations of the extant studies, and seek to better understand the magnitude and mechanisms of the association. These steps will help the development and implementation of policies or interventions related to screen time among youth. Evidence suggests that chronic sensory stimulation via excessive exposure to screen timemay affect brain development in negative ways. Excessive smartphone use may increase therisk of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders in adolescents and young adults thatalso has the potential to increase the risk of early onset dementia in late adulthood. Thisscoping review assessed theoretical and empirical evidence for the relationships betweenexcessive screen time and (i) neurodevelopment, (ii) learning and memory, (iii) mental health,(iv) substance use disorders, and (v) neurodegeneration. Using Halas et al.’s (BMJ Open,5(1), 1–6; 2015) five-stage scoping review methodology, we systematically identified articlesmeeting the following inclusion criteria: published in English between January 1999–July2019; human or animal subjects; primary and secondary sources including original research,systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, and narrative reviews. Primary searchterms focused on “smartphone,” “mental health,” “substance use,” “neurodevelopment,” and“neurodegeneration”; secondary search terms focused on “social media,” “anxiety,” “canna-bis,” and “dementia”. We analyzed 44 articles across 16 countries in this review. Each articlecorresponded to one of four research questions investigating screen time and mental health (n= 13), mental health and substance use (n = 8), chronic stress and development (n = 14), andchronic stress and neurodegeneration (n = 9). Overall increased screen time is associated withnegative outcomes such as lowered self-esteem, increased incidence and severity of mentalhealth issues and addictions, slowed learning and acquisition, and an increased risk ofpremature cognitive decline. Future directions to better inform public policy should expandresearch methodologies and explore the prolonged effects of excessive screen time oncognition and mental health in diverse populations and contexts. Psychosocial mediators Objectives: To investigate whether psychosocial variables mediate the effect of a multicomponent intervention on screen time reduction among Brazilian students from schools located in vulnerable areas. Design: A cluster-randomized controlled trial with a 4-month follow-up. Methods: This study was conducted with 1085 students (548 in the intervention group and 537 in the control group), aged 11–17 years. The intervention strategies focused on training teachers, increasing opportunities for physical activity at school, and reducing screen time, as well as health education. The questionnaire was administered before and after intervention with questions about the amount of time spent on TV and computer/ video games on weekdays and weekend days (combined screen time). The potential psychosocial mediators (attitude, self-efficacy, family and school support) were measured through validated scales. Socioeconomic status was used as control variable. Multilevel mediation analyses were conducted using a product-of-coefficients test. Results: Psychosocial factors were not mediators of the effect of the intervention on screen time. The intervention significantly improved school support for both sexes (boys: 1.307; girls: 0.759; p < 0.05) and older students (1.154; p < 0.001). Attitude (boys: −0.228; 11–13 years: −0.133; 14–17 years: −0.152; p < 0.05) and self-efficacy scales (boys: −0.040; girls: −0.104; 11–13 years: −0.048; 14–17 years: −0.100; p < 0.05) were associated with reduced screen time. Conclusions: The intervention produced a significant improvement of school support for both sexes, as well as older students. Enhancing attitude and self-efficacy may be a useful strategy for reducing screen time among boys and students of any age groups.