Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40263979›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of clinical psychology2025

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of screen time with adolescent depression and anxiety.

Sophie H Li, Philip J Batterham, Alexis E Whitton, Kate Maston, Asaduzzaman Khan, Helen Christensen, Aliza Werner-Seidler

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Article in The British journal of clinical psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

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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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

7 authors.

Sophie H LiSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4762-6911
Philip J BatterhamCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia.
Alexis E WhittonBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Kate MastonBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Asaduzzaman KhanFaculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Helen ChristensenFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Aliza Werner-SeidlerSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

Black Dog InstituteBupa FoundationNHMRC 1138405NHMRC Investigator Grant 1197074NHMRC Investigator Grant 2017521
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe relationship between screen time and mental health in adolescents is debated in the scientific literature, with longitudinal studies lacking. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between screen time and depression and anxiety and the influence of maladaptive social media use and gender on these associations.

methodsWe analysed a sample of 4058 adolescents (mean age = 13.9) recruited from 134 Australian schools as part of the Future Proofing Study, a 5-year prospective cohort study of adolescent mental health. Linear mixed models used Time 1 and Time 2 (12-month follow-up) data to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of screen time with depression and anxiety and the influence of maladaptive social media use and gender.

resultsScreen time was associated with mental health symptoms cross-sectionally, with each additional hour of screen time corresponding with a 1.25 and .79 increase in measures of depression and anxiety, respectively. Longitudinally, these associations were markedly weaker. Each additional hour of screen time corresponded with only a .15 increase in depression at 12 months and showed no association with anxiety at 12 months. Neither gender nor maladaptive social media use substantially influenced screen time-symptom associations.

conclusionsCompared to cross-sectional associations, longitudinal associations were weak, indicating that high screen time is unlikely to cause depression and anxiety; instead, observed relationships may be bidirectional. Experimental studies to understand the nuances underlying the relationship between screen time and mental health are needed to support the development of targeted strategies that promote healthy screen time habits among adolescents.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorAnxietyDepressionScreen TimeSocial MediaAdolescentAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleProspective StudiesSex Factorsadolescenceanxietydepressione‐healthscreen time

Identifiers

PMID40263979
PMCPMC12506940

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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.