Effects of limiting digital screen use on well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in adults

Abstract

Studies have linked higher digital screen use with poorer mental health. However, there is limited experimental evidence to suggest a causal relationship. In this trial, we aimed to investigate the effects of limiting recreational digital screen use on mental well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in healthy young and middle-aged adults. We randomly allocated 89 families (including 164 adults) to participate in an extensive screen media reduction intervention or control. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to decrease their recreational screen use to less than 3 hours/week/person. Intervention compliance was assessed using applications and tv-monitors. Overall subjective mental well-being and mood, and collected daily biomarkers of stress (salivary cortisol and cortisone) was assessed at baseline and 2-week follow-up. Reducing recreational digital screen use resulted in significantly improved self-reported well-being and mood in adults allocated to the intervention compared to control. We observed no intervention effects for biomarkers of stress. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04098913, 23/09/2019).

Screen Media Use and Mental Health of Children and Adolescents

“…This study is a prespecified secondary analysis of the SCREENS (Short-term Efficacy of Reducing Screen-Based Media Use) trial, which is a parallel cluster randomized clinical trial (study protocol available in Supplement 1). Results for the primary outcome of the SCREENS trial and a secondary analysis have previously been reported . The primary outcome analysis revealed that children and adolescents allocated to the screen media reduction group increased their nonsedentary leisure time by 45 minutes per day compared with children and adolescents in the control group .…”

“…40,41 A possible explanation of the positive effects found among both children and adolescents could be that parents participating in the SCREENS trial also reported improved mental well-being (WHO-5 Well-being Index score), as reported previously. 25 The positive effects may also be explained by increases in shared leisure time among family members without use of screen media devices during the intervention, potentially making room for more social interactions. Reduced interpersonal engagement could heighten emotional symptoms, manifesting as amplified feelings of isolation, loneliness, and social anxiety.…”

“…23 Results for the primary outcome of the SCREENS trial and a secondary analysis have previously been reported. 24,25 The primary outcome analysis revealed that children and adolescents allocated to the screen media reduction group increased their nonsedentary leisure time by 45 minutes per day compared with children and adolescents in the control group. 24 In the present study, we report the results for children's and adolescents' behavioral strengths and difficulties based on data from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).…”

A Family-Based Intervention With a Digital Break to Improve Child Psychiatric Symptoms

“…Interestingly, in a prior analysis, the authors showed that parental mood also improved. 3 The authors, however, did not investigate in the present study whether this parental mood change accounted for the observed improvement in children's psychiatric problems.…”

“…And it might make the parents, if not the children, happier. As already mentioned, the parents in this trial also had to hand in their smartphones, the positive effect on parental mental health was just as substantial in parents as in children, and it was the parents who evaluated the mental health of their children in this study.…”