Screen Time, Child Depression, and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Mental Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic led to increased screen time in children and adolescents due to stay-at-home orders.
• Excessive screen time is a potential risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.
• Understanding the screen time-mental health relationship in youth during the pandemic is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review studies on screen time and mental health in children/adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023).
• To determine the combined effect sizes of screen time on depression and anxiety.
• To explore potential influences of gender and age on these associations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of articles published between 2020 and 2023.
• Searched multiple bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO).
• Included 23 studies with 29,581 participants (ages 0-<18 years), analyzing quantitative and qualitative data.

Main Results:

• A significant positive association was found between screen time and depression (r=0.175) and anxiety (r=0.157) in youth during COVID-19.
• Problematic screen use showed a stronger correlation with anxiety (0.15 higher) than mere duration of use.
• Results were consistent across 23 studies involving nearly 30,000 children and adolescents.

Conclusions:

• Higher screen time during the pandemic correlated with increased depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.
• Emphasizes the need for monitoring youth screen behaviors by parents and professionals.
• Highlights the importance of promoting social connectedness activities during health emergencies.