ArticleAmerican journal of preventive medicine2026
Prospective Associations Between Early Adolescent Problematic Screen Use, Mental Health, Sleep, and Substance Use.
Article in American journal of preventive medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Recurrent rectal foreign-body insertion in a child with caregiver-reported problematic short-form video use: A hypothesis-generating case report.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Smartphone Ownership and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Early Adolescence.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Socially Prescribed Perfectionism, Resilience, and Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescents: 3-Wave Longitudinal Study.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThere are limited large-scale, prospective analyses examining problematic (addiction-like) screen use and mental and behavioral health outcomes in early adolescents. This study aimed to determine the associations between problematic screen use and mental and behavioral health outcomes-such as depressive symptoms, suicidal behaviors, sleep disturbance, and substance use initiation-1 year later in a national cohort of children aged 11-12 years in the U.S.
methodsProspective cohort data from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study participants who reported their screen use at ages 11-12 (Year 2, 2018-2020; N=8,119; 47.5% female; 43.8% racial/ethnic minority) were analyzed in 2025. Associations between problematic screen use (Social Media Addiction Questionnaire, Video Game Addiction Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire, Year 2) and mental and behavioral health outcomes (Year 3) were determined using either linear or logistic regression analyses on the basis of the outcome, adjusting for potential confounders (Year 2).
resultsProblematic mobile phone use and social media use were prospectively associated with higher depressive, somatic, attention/deficit, oppositional defiant, and conduct problems scores; suicidal behaviors; sleep disturbance; and substance initiation. Problematic video game use was associated with higher depressive, attention/deficit, and oppositional defiant scores; suicidal behaviors; and sleep disturbance.
conclusionsEarly adolescent problematic screen use is prospectively associated with poor mental and behavioral health outcomes 1 year later, extending prior cross-sectional findings. Clinicians can assess not only screen time but also problematic screen use and provide guidance to adolescents and parents, including the development of a family media plan.
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