Digital engagement and adolescent depression: A longitudinal mediation analysis adjusting for selection

• Published in: Computers in human behavior reports 2023-05, Vol.10, p.100293, Article 100293
• Main Authors: Layte, Richard, Brannigan, Ross, Stanistreet, Debbi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Depressive symptoms; Digital engagement; Online harassment; Sleep displacement; Social comparisons
• ISSN: 2451-9588; 2451-9588
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100293

To quantify the association between high digital engagement at age 17/8 and subsequent depressive symptoms at age 20 adjusting for selection into high digital engagement. To examine the role of social comparison, displacement and online harassment in mediating the relationship between digital engagement and depressive symptoms. Using four waves of longitudinal data on the same individuals from the Growing Up in Ireland Cohort98 at ages 9, 13, 17/8 and 20, we apply propensity score methods (PSM) with matching to estimate selection into high digital engagement at age 17/8. Poisson regression is applied to individuals matched according to their propensity to high digital engagement to quantify the role of self-esteem, body weight satisfaction, quality and duration of sleep and online harassment in mediating the association between high digital engagement at 17/8 and depression risk at age 20. Estimates within matched strata suggest a 9.7% increase in depressive symptoms for high digital engagement, over moderate engagement for females. No significant association with high engagement was found for males. Adjustment for self-esteem at 17/8 reduces the association by 26%; adjustment for sleep duration and quality leads to a 23% reduction. Online harassment and body weight satisfaction reduce the association by