Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31779637›Full record

SynthesisBMC psychiatry2019

Prevalence of problematic smartphone usage and associated mental health outcomes amongst children and young people: a systematic review, meta-analysis and GRADE of the evidence.

Sei Yon Sohn, Philippa Rees, Bethany Wildridge, Nicola J Kalk, Ben Carter

Erratum issuedAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 317 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
317citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

317 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Dose-response analysis of smartphone usage and self-reported sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2023
    Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Motivation Profiles Towards Academic Reading, Substance-Related and Problematic Behaviors in Future Teachers.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026
    Article

257 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sei Yon SohnInstitute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Philippa ReesInstitute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Bethany WildridgeInstitute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Nicola J Kalk *Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Ben Carter *Department of Biostatistics, and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. ben.carter@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0318-8865

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver the past decade, smartphone use has become widespread amongst today's children and young people (CYP) which parallels increases in poor mental health in this group. Simultaneously, media concern abounds about the existence of 'smartphone addiction' or problematic smartphone use. There has been much recent research concerning the prevalence of problematic smartphone use is in children and young people who use smartphones, and how this syndrome relates to mental health outcomes, but this has not been synthesized and critically evaluated.

aimsTo conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of PSU and quantify the association with mental health harms.

methodsA search strategy using Medical Subject Headings was developed and adapted for eight databases between January 1, 1st 2011 to October 15th 2017. No language restriction was applied. Of 924 studies identified, 41 were included in this review, three of which were cohort studies and 38 were cross sectional studies. The mental health outcomes were self-reported: depression; anxiety; stress; poor sleep quality; and decreased educational attainment, which were synthesized according to an a priori protocol.

resultsThe studies included 41,871 CYP, and 55% were female. The median prevalence of PSU amongst CYP was 23.3% (14.0-31.2%). PSU was associated with an increased odds of depression (OR = 3.17;95%CI 2.30-4.37;I

conclusionsPSU was reported in approximately one in every four CYP and accompanied by an increased odds of poorer mental health. PSU is an evolving public health concern that requires greater study to determine the boundary between helpful and harmful technology use. Policy guidance is needed to outline harm reduction strategies.

Indexed as

AdolescentAnxietyBehavior, AddictiveChildDepressionEducational StatusFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthOdds RatioPrevalenceSelf ReportSleep Wake DisordersSmartphoneStress, PsychologicalAnxietyDepressionEducational attainmentProblematic smartphone usageSleep

Identifiers

PMID31779637
PMCPMC6883663

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.