What is it about?
We found that children who spent more time on screens - especially mobile devices - were more likely to experience higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Conversely, higher levels of physical activity and participation in organised sports were associated with lower stress and fewer depressive symptoms. However, the link between physical activity and depressive symptoms was weaker than that of screen time. Adolescents with both high screen time and low physical activity had the highest levels of stress and depressive symptoms.
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Why is it important?
Our findings suggest that limiting screen time and promoting physical activity from childhood may help safeguard mental health in adolescence. The findings are particularly significant given that mental health problems affect up to 30% of young people and pose a growing societal challenge.
Perspectives
I was honoured to work with many excellent researchers outside our core study group. I enjoyed working in a paediatric physical activity, screen time, and mental health "dream team" together with Professor David Lubans, Professor Tommi Tolmunen, Dr. Kaija Appelqvist-Schmidlechner, Dr. Silja Kosola, and Dr-to-be Juuso Jussila.
Dr. Eero Haapala
University of Jyväskylä
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescence, JAMA Network Open, February 2025, American Medical Association (AMA),
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60012.
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