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Sexting and Mental Health in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study
Lars Roar Frøyland1, Rikke Tokle1, Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas2
1Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Centre for Welfare and Labour Research, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Summary
Sexting among adolescents does not predict future depression or conduct issues. Instead, conduct problems in girls may lead to increased sexting, suggesting a need for safe sexting education over prevention.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent mental health
- Digital communication behaviors
- Longitudinal study designs
Background:
- Sexting, the exchange of sexual messages digitally, is linked to poor mental health in cross-sectional studies.
- Previous research has not established a causal link between sexting and subsequent mental health decline.
- Understanding the temporal relationship between sexting and mental health is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if sexting predicts increases in depression symptoms and conduct problems over time in adolescents.
- To examine the bidirectional relationship between sexting and mental health outcomes.
- To differentiate between-person and within-person effects of sexting on mental health.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal data from 3,000 Norwegian adolescents (MyLife study) across three annual assessments.
- Utilized e-questionnaires to measure sexting frequency and mental health indicators (depression, conduct problems).
- Employed random intercept cross-lagged panel models to analyze within-person changes and temporal associations.
Main Results:
- Boys engaging in frequent sexting reported higher depression and conduct problems, consistent with cross-sectional findings.
- For girls, sexting was associated with depression symptoms at the between-person level, but not prospectively.
- Sexting did not predict future increases in depression or conduct problems for either gender; however, conduct problems predicted increased sexting in girls.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that reducing sexting may not be an effective strategy for preventing adolescent mental health problems.
- Interventions should focus on promoting safe and responsible sexting practices rather than solely on prevention.
- The relationship between conduct problems and sexting in girls warrants further investigation for targeted support.
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