Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35705765›Full record

SynthesisEuropean child & adolescent psychiatry2024

Impact of mobile phones and wireless devices use on children and adolescents' mental health: a systematic review.

Braulio M Girela-Serrano, Alexander D V Spiers, Liu Ruotong, Shivani Gangadia, Mireille B Toledano, Martina Di Simplicio

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European child & adolescent psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 3 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

47 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Digital Devices Use and Sleep in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Braulio M Girela-Serrano *Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 7th Floor, Commonwealth Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK. b.girela-serrano@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3813-2610
Alexander D V Spiers *MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.
Liu RuotongDivision of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 7th Floor, Commonwealth Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Shivani GangadiaDivision of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 7th Floor, Commonwealth Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Mireille B ToledanoMRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.
Martina Di SimplicioDivision of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 7th Floor, Commonwealth Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/R015732/1Medical Research Council MR/S019669/1Medical Research Council MR/V004190/1Medical Research Council MR/V028472/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Growing use of mobiles phones (MP) and other wireless devices (WD) has raised concerns about their possible effects on children and adolescents' wellbeing. Understanding whether these technologies affect children and adolescents' mental health in positive or detrimental ways has become more urgent following further increase in use since the COVID-19 outbreak. To review the empirical evidence on associations between use of MP/WD and mental health in children and adolescents. A systematic review of literature was carried out on Medline, Embase and PsycINFO for studies published prior to July 15th 2019, PROSPERO ID: CRD42019146750. 25 observational studies published between January 1st 2011 and 2019 were reviewed (ten were cohort studies, 15 were cross-sectional). Overall estimated participant mean age and proportion female were 14.6 years and 47%, respectively. Substantial between-study heterogeneity in design and measurement of MP/WD usage and mental health outcomes limited our ability to infer general conclusions. Observed effects differed depending on time and type of MP/WD usage. We found suggestive but limited evidence that greater use of MP/WD may be associated with poorer mental health in children and adolescents. Risk of bias was rated as 'high' for 16 studies, 'moderate' for five studies and 'low' for four studies. More high-quality longitudinal studies and mechanistic research are needed to clarify the role of sleep and of type of MP/WD use (e.g. social media) on mental health trajectories in children and adolescents.

Indexed as

Cell PhoneMental HealthAdolescentChildCOVID-19FemaleHumansMaleWireless TechnologyChild and adolescentEpidemiologyMental healthMobile phone and wireless devicesSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID35705765
PMCPMC9200624

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.