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Longitudinal association between smartphone ownership and depression among schoolchildren under COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Under the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns regarding prolonged screen time and mental health effects in children have increased. We examined the association of depression with smartphone ownership in school children at four time points: September 2019, July 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. The analysis revealed an interaction between group and time, indicating that depressive symptoms among smartphone owners were significantly more severe than in the other group. These results were clearer for fourth-year students, pointing that smartphone possession at younger ages may be a risk factor for mental health in the new lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Adachi M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8588933 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Longitudinal association between smartphone ownership and depression among schoolchildren under COVID-19 pandemic.

Adachi Masaki M Takahashi Michio M Shinkawa Hiroki H Mori Hiroyuki H Nishimura Tomoko T Nakamura Kazuhiko K

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 20211112 2

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns regarding prolonged screen time and mental health effects in children have increased. We examined the association of depression with smartphone ownership in school children at four time points: September 2019, July 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. The analysis revealed an interaction between group and time, indicating that depressive symptoms among smartphone owners were significantly more severe than in the other group. These results were clearer for fo ...[more]

PMID: 34773141

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Project description:BackgroundPrevious studies indicate an increasing prevalence of depression among university students worldwide. Besides, university students are more likely to excessively use smartphones, making them more susceptible to smartphone addiction. Pandemic conditions can also have negative effects on mental health. Thus, this study aims to investigate the frequency of depression among university students during COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe study population for this mixed-method research, which includes both qualitative and quantitative components, consists of students studying health sciences at a state university in Istanbul, Türkiye. No sample was selected for the quantitative data collection; instead, it was aimed to reach the entire population. Sociodemographic characteristics, the 10-item Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), and the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. In the qualitative part of our study, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 12 students. Statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe study, involving 819 students, found that 25.2% had moderate depression and 5.7% had severe depression. A statistically significant relationship was found between self-perceived smartphone addiction and the presence of moderate-severe depression (p < 0.001). Participants who spent more than 4 h a day on their smartphones, those who checked their smartphones more than 30 times a day, those who perceived themselves as smartphone addicts, and those who experienced smartphone-related sleep problems obtained statistically significantly higher scores from BDI compared to others (p < 0.05). According to our qualitative results, some participants thought that smartphone use could cause a depressive mood by isolating people, while others believed it could do so through the negative effects of social media. All participants reported that the quarantine period increased their smartphone usage.ConclusionOur results suggest a potential interaction between smartphone addiction and depression. This indicates the potential benefit of assessing and addressing both conditions simultaneously.

Project description:BackgroundOlder individuals are most at risk of severe COVID-19 and particularly require protection causing (self)restriction of psychosocial interaction in daily living. So far, the impact of psychosocial withdrawal on mental health seems less pronounced in community-dwelling older individuals compared to younger individuals. However, dynamics and adverse long-term effects of the pandemic, such as increases in depression, are still mostly unclear, especially for vulnerable subgroups.MethodsPre-pandemic and 3-, 8-, 14-, 20-month peri-pandemic data were analyzed in 877 older participants (age at 3-month peri-pandemic: mean ± SD: 72.3 ± 6.3, range: 58-91 years) of the observational prospective TREND study in Germany. Severity of depression (Beck's Depression Inventory-II scores) and key factors of (mental) health were investigated for cross-sectional associations using path modeling. Risk groups defined by resilience, loneliness, history of depression, stress, health status and fear of COVID-19 were investigated for differences in depression between timepoints.FindingsThe early pandemic (3-month) severity of depression was most strongly associated with history of depression, stress and resilience. Overall increases in clinically relevant depression (mild-severe) from pre- to 3-month peri-pandemic were small (% with depression at pre-/3-month peri-pandemic: 8.3%/11.5%). Changes were most pronounced in risk groups with low resilience (27.2%/41.8%), loneliness (19.0%/28.9%), fear of COVID-19 (17.6%/31.4%), high stress (24.4%/34.2%), a history of depression (27.7%/36.9%), and low health status (21.8%/31.4%). Changes in depression were largely observed from pre- to 3-month and were sustained to the 20-month peri-pandemic timepoint, overall and in stratified risk groups defined by single and cumulative risk factors. Changes between timepoints were heterogenous as indicated by alluvial diagrams.ConclusionOnly specific risk groups of older individuals showed a large increase in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since these increases occurred early in the pandemic and were sustained over 20 months, these vulnerable risk groups need to be prioritized for counselling and risk mitigation of depression.

Project description:We examined person-centered heterogeneity in the longitudinal co-development of depression and alcohol problems during the COVID-19 outbreak. We also investigated the risk factors (personality and coping) for being in "higher" relative to "lower" risk subgroups of combined depressive symptoms and alcohol problems. Canadian participants (N = 364, M age = 32.16, 54.67% male) completed questionnaires four times every three months, starting approximately 2 months after Canada announced its COVID-19 State-of-Emergency. Parallel-process latent class growth analysis found evidence for three latent subgroups: a "moderate increasing depression and alcohol problems" subgroup (Class 1); a "moderate stable depression, moderate decreasing alcohol problems" subgroup (Class 2); and a "low-risk normative" subgroup (with mild depression that was stable and mild alcohol problems that decreased; Class 3). Multinomial logistic regressions found that higher levels of hopelessness, impulsivity, and boredom proneness distinguished Class 1 from Class 3. Further, lower levels of general self-efficacy distinguished Class 1 from Classes 2 and 3. Linear mixed models found that Class 1 increasingly used maladaptive avoidant coping strategies (denial, drugs/alcohol, behavioural disengagement) as the pandemic progressed, whereas Class 2 increasingly used adaptive approach-oriented strategies (planning, seeking emotional support from others). We analyzed longitudinal data to detect classes of individuals with depressive and alcohol-related difficulties during COVID-19 and to characterize the vulnerability factors for increased difficulties. Highlighting the heterogeneity in the co-trajectory of depression and alcohol problems during COVID-19 and the personality and coping factors associated with combined increases in these mental health difficulties can inform treatment practices and bolster peoples' preparedness and resilience for future pandemics.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-04109-4.

Dataset Information

Longitudinal association between smartphone ownership and depression among schoolchildren under COVID-19 pandemic.

Publications

Longitudinal association between smartphone ownership and depression among schoolchildren under COVID-19 pandemic.

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