Infants’ and toddlers’ digital media use and mothers’ mental health: A comparative study before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract Introduction To address the growing sleep deficiency epidemic in college students, more research is needed on recent factors that might affect sleep, such as the digital media use in this young adult population. Furthermore, sleep and the use of digital media can be heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of digital media during the pandemic, and its relationship with sleep disturbance, social isolation, physical and mental health in college students. Methods An online survey was sent out to college students enrolled in an urban university. Validated questionnaires including PROMIS (Sleep Disturbance, Global Mental Health, Global Physical Health, Social Isolation), Nighttime Media Usage, and Internet Addition Test were included in the survey. In addition, focus groups were conducted with a subsample of survey respondents to elicit a comprehensive understanding of how digital media use in daily life influences sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was conducted during June to December 2020. Results A total of 358 students completed the online survey. Sleep disturbance was significantly related to greater digital media use for recreational purposes two hours before bedtime (62.6±28.1 minutes, r=0.110, p=0.046), and a higher frequency of playing games (r=0.148, p=0.007) and using social media after going to bed (r=0.142, p=0.10). Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with social isolation (r=0.251, p<0.001), poor global physical health (r=-0.186, p<0.001) and mental health (r=-0.376, p<0.001), and lower GPA (r=-0.167, p=0.004). Additionally, seven focus groups were conducted in a total of 32 students, suggesting that the increase in free time from the COVID-19 pandemic led to greater digital media use, compromising sleep duration and quality. With the increase of screen time also came feeling of guilt and anxiety which often led to greater awareness and self-control around media use. Conclusion Nighttime digital media use during the challenging pandemic time has a significant impact on poor sleep, which may lead to decreased academic performance, greater social isolation, and poor physical and mental health in college students. Effective interventions targeting digital media use are needed to improve sleep in this population. Support (if any):

Download Full-text

CHILDREN AND SCREENS: YOUTH DIGITAL MEDIA USE AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.jaac.2021.07.700 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 60 (10) ◽

pp. S297

Author(s):

Paul E. Weigle ◽

Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Digital Media ◽

Media Use ◽

Mental Health Outcomes

Download Full-text

Examining Changes in Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An App-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment Study of Youth in Outpatient Mental Health Treatment (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33114 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Meredith Gansner ◽

Melanie Nisenson ◽

Vanessa Lin ◽

Sovannarath Pong ◽

John Torous ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Digital Media ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Screen Time ◽

Media Use ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Outpatient Mental Health ◽

Clinically Significant ◽

Ecological Momentary

BACKGROUND Youth with existing psychiatric illness are more apt to use the Internet as a coping skill. Because many “in-person” coping skills were not easily accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth in outpatient mental health treatment may have been particularly vulnerable to the development of problematic Internet use, or PIU. Identification of a pandemic-associated worsening of PIU in this population is critical in order to guide clinical care; if these youth have become dependent upon the Internet to regulate their negative emotions, PIU must be addressed as part of mental health treatment. However, many existing studies of youth digital media use in the pandemic do not include youth in psychiatric treatment, or are reliant upon cross-sectional methodology and self-report measures of digital media use. OBJECTIVE This study pilots use of an app-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol to investigate potential pandemic-associated changes in digital media use in cohorts of youth in outpatient mental health treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analyses assess for differences in digital media use dependent upon personal and familial COVID-19 exposure and familial hospitalization, as well as factors associated with PIU in this population. METHODS Participants were aged 12-23 and receiving mental health treatment in an outpatient community hospital setting. All participants completed a six-week daily EMA protocol on their personal smartphones. Questions asked about depression (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), and PIU (PIU-SF-6), digital media use based on Apple’s daily screen time reports, and personal and familial COVID-19 exposure. Regression models compared screen time, psychiatric symptoms and PIU between cohorts, as well as between youth with personal/familial COVID-19 exposures, and those without. Regression models also assessed for demographic and psychiatric factors associated with clinically significant PIU-SF-6 scores. RESULTS 69 participants completed the study. Participants recruited during the pandemic were significantly more likely to meet criteria for PIU based on their average PIU-SF-6 score (P =.02) and to spend more time using social media each day (P =.02). Overall amount of daily screen time did not differ between cohorts. Secondary analyses revealed a significant increase in average daily screen time among subjects who were exposed to COVID-19 (P =.01). Youth with clinically significant PIU-SF-6 scores were significantly younger and more likely to have higher PHQ-8 (P =.01) and GAD-7 (P =.007) scores. No differences in scale scores or media use were found between subjects based on familial COVID-19 exposure or hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support our hypothesis that PIU may have worsened for youth in mental health treatment during the pandemic, particularly problematic use of social media. Mental health clinicians should incorporate screening for PIU into routine clinical care in order to prevent potential familial conflict and subsequent psychiatric crises that might stem from unrecognized PIU. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Download Full-text

PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS REFERRED TO A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.95.6.495-503 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 95 (6) ◽

pp. 495 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

HARRY WRIGHT

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Community Mental Health ◽

Health System ◽

Mental Health System ◽

Psychiatric Diagnoses ◽

Infants And Toddlers

Download Full-text

Social Media Use in College-age Youth: A Comprehensive Review and a Call to Action

Current Psychopharmacologye ◽

10.2174/2211556009999200408112951 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 128-143

Author(s):

Hilary Holmes ◽

Alba E. Lara ◽

Gregory S. Brown

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Media Use ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Health Awareness ◽

Social Media Use ◽

Call To Action ◽

College Age ◽

Mental Health Awareness ◽

Privacy Breaches

Background: Social media is a relatively new and impactful way to connect millions of people around the world. The intersection of mental health and social media is a poorly studied, yet important area of research. Specifically, with regard to college-aged youth, social media can potentially offer an educational tool to enhance mental health awareness or augment treatment when it is used for professional purposes by mental health advocates or healthcare professionals. There is also the added risk of disinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy breaches. Objective: This review aims to assess the current state of social media use and its influence on mental health, especially in college-age youth. Methods: The authors of this paper utilized PubMed and Medline databases to review the most recent experimental studies and literature reviews available on the topic of mental health and social media. Results: Abstracts and relevant papers were read in full, and information from these studies was cited accordingly. Conclusion: The authors conclude that although more research needs to be conducted, social media may offer benefits for mental health awareness, education, and treatment, specifically in populations such as college-age youth.

Download Full-text