Is adolescent internet use a risk factor for the development of depression symptoms or vice-versa?
| Autor: | Caroline Fitzpatrick, Annie Lemieux, Jonathan Smith, Greg L. West, Véronique Bohbot, Mark Asbridge |
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| Rok vydání: | 2023 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Psychological Medicine. :1-7 |
| ISSN: | 1469-8978 0033-2917 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/s0033291723000284 |
| Popis: | Background The extent to which digital media use by adolescents contributes to poor mental health, or vice-versa, remains unclear. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the strength and direction of associations between adolescent internet use and the development of depression symptoms using a longitudinal modeling approach. We also examine whether associations differ for boys and girls. Methods Data are drawn from (N = 1547) participants followed for the Quebec longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD 1998–2020). Youth self-reported internet use in terms of the average hours of use per week at the ages of 13, 15, and 17. Youth also self-reported depression symptoms at the same ages. Results After testing sex-invariance, random intercepts cross-lagged panel models stratified by sex, revealed that internet use by girls was associated with significant within-person (time-varying) change in depression symptoms. Girl's internet use at age 13 was associated with increased depression symptoms at age 15 (ß = 0.12) and internet use at age 15 increased depression at age 17 (ß = 0.10). For boys, internet use was not associated with significant time varying change in depression symptoms. Conclusions The present findings support the hypothesis that internet use by adolescents can represent a significant risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms, particularly in girls. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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