Survey Showed That Limiting Daily Screen Time Could Help to Avoid Mental Health Issues in Children Aged 8-17Years

This study tested the associations between screen time and anxiety and depression, while accounting for physical activity, sleep and socioeconomic background.

We analysed repeated cross-sectional survey data from the Swedish population-based Generation Pep Study, which was collected in 2021-2022 and comprised children aged 8-17 years. Screen time and symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the short 25-item child-reported Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale, along with physical activity, sleep, sex and age. The parents provided some of the basic details and helped younger children under 12 complete the questionnaire, as required.

The 4002 children (50.9% boys) had a mean age of 12.2 ± 2.7 years. The scores for anxiety and depression nearly doubled when the daily screen time increased from approximately two hours to seven hours or more. However, statistically significant marginal effects were only observed when screen time exceeded two hours per day. The results remained significant after adjusting for the plausible displacement effect of physical activity, sleep and socioeconomic status.

Screen time that exceeded about two hours a day was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression among Swedish children who took part in this population-based study.