Subjective Smartphone Screen Time and Co-morbid Mental Illness

Smartphone use is ubiquitous among young adults, and past research has suggested a potential association between smartphone use and mental illness. Here, the relationship between subjective smartphone screen time and co-morbid mental illness was assessed in a sample of college students. The role of social support was also examined. The authors used data from 431 college students who participated in the mobile screen time project. Total daily subjective smartphone screen time, as well as screen time using social networking, gaming, and productivity apps, was measured. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and insomnia were measured. Participants were categorized as experiencing 0, 1, or 2 or more mental illnesses. Perceived social support was tested as a moderator. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed main and interactive effects after adjustment for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and relative socioeconomic status. About 40.6% of participants had symptoms of 2 or more mental illnesses. Total daily subjective screen time was significantly associated with having symptoms of 2 or more mental illnesses (OR [95% CI] = 4.08 [2.40, 6.97]). Social support moderated this relationship (OR [95% CI] = 0.49 [0.28, 0.86]), with the relationship strongest among those with the lowest levels of social support. Greater subjective screen time was associated with increased odds of experiencing symptoms of co-morbid mental illness, but not any single mental illness. Social support may moderate this relationship. Greater smartphone screen time may be associated with common underlying symptoms of multiple mental illnesses, although reciprocal relationships cannot be ruled out. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.