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Background: Higher levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) and screen-time are associated with greater symptoms of depression in adolescents, but the effect of the type and context of SB and screen-time, remains underexplored. As part of a nationally-representative observational study, the current cross-sectional study examined associations between SB, screen-time and depressive symptoms among 422 adolescents (13.5±0.92y; 125 female) in the Republic of Ireland.Methods: Participants completed the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and self-reported weekly SB, categorised into mentally-active screen-time (e.g., computer use for fun), mentally-passive screen-time (e.g., television viewing) and mentally-active non-screen based SB (e.g., reading). Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal Wallis H tests examined differences in screen-time and depressive symptoms by relevant covariates. Linear regression quantified crude and adjusted associations between total SB and mentally-active and-passive screen-time and SB, and depressive symptoms.Results: Crude and adjusted linear regressions showed total SB was significantly, positively associated with depressive symptoms (unadjusted: β=0.27, p=0.002, adjusted: β=0.27, p=0.002). When type and context were examined in the same model, only mentally-active screen-time was positively associated with depressive symptoms (unadjusted: β=0.37, p=0.009, adjusted: β=0.39, p=0.007).Conclusions: Differential associations between total SB and mentally-active screen-time and SB, versus mentally-passive screen-time, and depressive symptoms among Irish adolescents were observed. Findings highlight the importance of investigating the context and type of SB and screen-time in adolescents.

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