The association between screen-time and depression in adolescents

Abstract

Overview of the Topic: Depression is a medical condition that is considered the leading cause of global disease burden in adolescents (Patel, 2017). It was revealed that in 2017, around 3.2 million American adolescents of ages 12 to 17 years, experienced at least one major depressive episode (NIMH, 2017, as cited in Legg, 2021). Since adolescence is a critical phase where individuals develop and maintain emotional and social practices that are vital for their mental health, it was decided to examine the association between screen-time and depression in adolescents. Research Question: Does excessive screen-time in adolescents lead to depression? PICO Elements: The population studied comprised of adolescents. The intervention which was looked into was screen-time. The comparison was either reduced or no-screen-time. The expected outcome was depression. Method: Combinations of keywords were retrieved from the PICO elements and were set to be used for the search. The key terms were then combined with search tools and limiters so that a specific and focused search strategy would be implemented in each database. Furthermore, articles were screened and selected in accordance to the PRISMA flow diagram, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in order to eliminate irrelevant studies. Also, the articles’ reference lists were manually searched for other applicable studies. As a result, six key studies were identified. Moreover, the CASP tool and the AXIS appraisal tool were used for the appraisal of the key studies. Results: The six key studies included; a systematic review, two cross-sectional studies, a longitudinal study, a prospective-cohort study, and a retrospective-cohort study. Although the results were inconsistent, every study managed to find a small, yet significant association between increased hours spent on at least one type of screen-activity, and depression. But, further research is needed to back up these results. The discrepancy in findings could be the result of methodological differences, different confounders, and measurement of the variables. Implications and Recommendations: Some recommendations for future research include; looking into the bidirectional influence of depression and screen-time, analysing every little detail of screen-time, as well as improving generalizability of findings. Additionally, HCP should set-up primary prevention tools like; online-based self-help interventions and mental health information to support at-risk adolescents. Furthermore, the management should distribute more funds towards mental-health and screen-time education, so that employment and services in these areas grow.