Associations between smartphone use and mental health and well-being among young Swiss men

Joseph Studer; Simon Marmet; Matthias Wicki; Yasser Khazaal; Gerhard Gmel

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.036

Associations between smartphone use and mental health and well-being among young Swiss men

J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Dec:156:602-610. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.036. Epub 2022 Oct 25.

Authors

Joseph Studer¹, Simon Marmet², Matthias Wicki³, Yasser Khazaal⁴, Gerhard Gmel⁵

Affiliations

¹ Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Service of Adult Psychiatry North-West, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: joseph.studer@chuv.ch.
² Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Olten, Switzerland.
³ Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute for Research, Development and Evaluation, Bern University of Teacher Education, Bern, Switzerland.
⁴ Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.

PMID: 36372003
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.036

Abstract

Background and aims: Intense use of smartphones is associated with mental health problems and low well-being. However, little is known about the mental health and well-being of non- and low-level users. This study investigated the possibly non-linear associations between time spent using a smartphone, including non-users, and mental health and well-being among young adults.

Methods: Between 2016 and 2018, 5315 young Swiss men (M = 25.45 years old, SD = 1.25) completed a questionnaire assessing smartphone use, daily time spent using a smartphone, mental health and well-being (i.e. depression, social anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, life satisfaction, stress) and potential confounding variables (social capital, personality, education). The associations of smartphone use and time spent using a smartphone (linear and quadratic associations) with mental health and well-being were tested using regression models.

Results: Non-users (4.3%) reported worse mental health and well-being than smartphone users on all outcomes. Time spent using a smartphone was linearly associated with higher rates of social anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and lower levels of life satisfaction. The association with stress was non-linear, with significant linear and quadratic coefficients of time spent using a smartphone. Associations were partially attributable to confounding variables (i.e. social capital, personality, and education).

Conclusions: Non-users and intense users of smartphones have lower levels of mental health and well-being than low-level users. Although society and mental health professionals are deeply concerned about the potentially negative consequences of the ever-increasing use of smartphones, the present study suggested that not using a smartphone may also indicate problems.

Keywords: Cohort study on substance-use risk factors (C-SURF); Mental health; Smartphone; Well-being; Young adults.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Humans
Mental Health*
Social Capital*