Abstract
BackgroundWe have previously studied prospective associations between computer use and mental health symptoms in a selected young adult population. The purpose of this study was to investigate if high computer use is a prospective risk factor for developing mental health symptoms in a population-based sample of young adults.MethodsThe study group was a cohort of young adults (n = 4163), 20–24 years old, who responded to a questionnaire at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Exposure variables included time spent on computer use (CU) in general, email/chat use, computer gaming, CU without breaks, and CU at night causing lost sleep. Mental health outcomes included perceived stress, sleep disturbances, symptoms of depression, and reduced performance due to stress, depressed mood, or tiredness. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated for prospective associations between exposure variables at baseline and mental health outcomes (new cases) at 1-year follow-up for the men and women separately.ResultsBoth high and medium computer use compared to low computer use at baseline were associated with sleep disturbances in the men at follow-up. High email/chat use was negatively associated with perceived stress, but positively associated with reported sleep disturbances for the men. For the women, high email/chat use was (positively) associated with several mental health outcomes, while medium computer gaming was associated with symptoms of depression, and CU without breaks with most mental health outcomes. CU causing lost sleep was associated with mental health outcomes for both men and women.ConclusionsTime spent on general computer use was prospectively associated with sleep disturbances and reduced performance for the men. For the women, using the computer without breaks was a risk factor for several mental health outcomes. Some associations were enhanced in interaction with mobile phone use. Using the computer at night and consequently losing sleep was associated with most mental health outcomes for both men and women. Further studies should focus on mechanisms relating information and communication technology (ICT) use to sleep disturbances.
Highlights
We have previously studied prospective associations between computer use and mental health symptoms in a selected young adult population
Mental health symptoms, and social support in study group at baseline Almost 40% of the men and 30% of the women were categorized as having high computer use (>4 hours per day) (Table 1)
There were moderate positive associations between the exposure variables at baseline (Spearman correlation coefficients, Table 3), with the strongest associations found between computer use and frequency of Computer use (CU) without breaks
Summary
We have previously studied prospective associations between computer use and mental health symptoms in a selected young adult population. In a previous prospective cohort study, we found associations between high use of ICT, including chatting, emailing, Internet surfing, the sum of hours spent at the computer and mobile phone per week, and the number of mobile phone calls and text messages (SMSs) per day, and reported mental health symptoms among college and university students aged 19–25 years [10]. The study was followed by a qualitative interview study with 32 high users of ICT who had reported mental health symptoms at 1-year follow-up in the cohort questionnaire [11] Based on these young adults’ own concepts and ideas, a model of possible paths for associations between ICT use and mental symptoms was proposed via consequences of high quantitative computer or mobile phone use, negative qualitative use, and user problems. In a study among Finnish adolescents [12], intensive computer use among the boys was a risk for poor perceived health through deteriorated sleeping habits and waking time tiredness. (For the girls, it was intensive mobile phone use that was directly associated with poor perceived health, likewise through deteriorated sleeping habits and waking time tiredness)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call