Other Titles
Unveiling the Digital Maze: A Comprehensive Scoping Review on Problematic Media Use and Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents [Poster Title]
Abstract
Background: While existing research on psychopathology and problematic media use (PMU) in children and adolescents continues to grow and presents a complex, multifaceted issue, the direction of this relationship remains unclear. This scoping review aims to map the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology (encompassing both symptoms and diagnoses) in children and adolescents.
Methods: This scoping review examines longitudinal studies that addressed the relationship between psychopathology and PMU in children and adolescents (ages 6 to 18 years old). Searches of databases, reference lists of included studies, and relevant conference abstracts were performed to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers used DistillerSR to organize and screen data independently. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. Data were summarized narratively to map the evidence by design, developmental age, setting, variables of interest, and relationships evaluated.
Results: Sixty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Adolescents were the primary developmental age studied, and the majority of studies featured participants from East Asian countries. Internet addiction was the most common type of PMU studied, and depression and anxiety were frequently identified as psychopathological variables of interest. The synthesis of the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology yielded mixed results, showing no consistent direction of causation.
Discussion: Given the variability in directionality, further research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between PMU and psychopathology to advance our understanding of child and adolescent mental health in the digital age.
Notes
References:
Domoff, S. E., Borgen, A. L., & Radesky, J. S. (2020). Interactional theory of childhood problematic media use. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(4), 343-353.
Rideout, V., Peebles, A., Mann, S., & Robb, M.B. (2021). The common sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2021.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Nu
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Problematic Media Use, Internet Addiction, Adolescence, Mental Health, Psychiatry, Social Media
Recommended Citation
Crane, Katelin; Moriarty, Helene; Weissinger, Guy; Domoff, Sarah; Bernhardt, Paul; Harris, Sydney; Hughes, Sarah; and Yost, Jennifer, "A Comprehensive Scoping Review on Problematic Media Use & Psychopathology in Children & Adolescents" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 201.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/201
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
A Comprehensive Scoping Review on Problematic Media Use & Psychopathology in Children & Adolescents
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: While existing research on psychopathology and problematic media use (PMU) in children and adolescents continues to grow and presents a complex, multifaceted issue, the direction of this relationship remains unclear. This scoping review aims to map the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology (encompassing both symptoms and diagnoses) in children and adolescents.
Methods: This scoping review examines longitudinal studies that addressed the relationship between psychopathology and PMU in children and adolescents (ages 6 to 18 years old). Searches of databases, reference lists of included studies, and relevant conference abstracts were performed to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers used DistillerSR to organize and screen data independently. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. Data were summarized narratively to map the evidence by design, developmental age, setting, variables of interest, and relationships evaluated.
Results: Sixty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Adolescents were the primary developmental age studied, and the majority of studies featured participants from East Asian countries. Internet addiction was the most common type of PMU studied, and depression and anxiety were frequently identified as psychopathological variables of interest. The synthesis of the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology yielded mixed results, showing no consistent direction of causation.
Discussion: Given the variability in directionality, further research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between PMU and psychopathology to advance our understanding of child and adolescent mental health in the digital age.
Description
Most studies included in this scoping review featured adolescent, East Asian participants.
Depression and anxiety exclusively, and comorbid depression and anxiety were the most common psychiatric disorders studied. Internet addiction was the most studied type of problematic media use.
The directionality between problematic media use and psychopathology in children and adolescents varied, suggesting that the two phenomena influence each other reciprocally without a clear primary driver