Credit score: Kampus Manufacturing from Pexels
Preteens who spend extra time on screens usually tend to develop manic signs two-years later, in accordance with a brand new examine revealed in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
The findings reveal that 10–11 year-olds who interact closely with social media, video video games, texting, and movies present a larger danger of signs corresponding to inflated shallowness, decreased want for sleep, distractibility, fast speech, racing ideas, and impulsivity—behaviors attribute of manic episodes, a key function of bipolar-spectrum problems.
“Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for the development of bipolar-spectrum disorders,” mentioned first writer, Jason Nagata, MD, an affiliate professor of pediatrics on the College of California, San Francisco.
“Given that earlier onset of symptoms is linked with more severe and chronic outcomes, it’s important to understand what might contribute to the onset or worsening of manic symptoms in teenagers.”
Signs of social media and online game dependancy, characterised by the shortcoming to cease regardless of attempting, withdrawal, tolerance, battle, and relapse, might play a task. “Screen addictions and irregular sleep patterns may exacerbate manic symptoms in susceptible teens,” mentioned Nagata.
The examine provides to the wealth of data on the associations between display use and poor psychological well being in adolescents. The examine makes use of information from the nationwide Adolescent Mind Cognitive Improvement (ABCD) examine, the most important long-term examine of mind improvement in the USA.
“This study underscores the importance of cultivating healthy screen use habits early,” says co-author Kyle Ganson, Ph.D., assistant professor on the College of Toronto’s Issue-Inwentash College of Social Work. “Future research can help us better understand the behaviors and brain mechanisms linking screen use with manic symptoms to help inform prevention and intervention efforts.”
The examine collected information from 9,243 early adolescents aged 10–11 years. Research members offered details about their typical display habits, in addition to whether or not they had skilled manic or hypomanic signs.
“Although screen time can have important benefits such as education and increased socialization, parents should be aware of the potential risks, especially to mental health,” mentioned Nagata. “Families can develop a media plan which could include screen-free times before bedtime.”
Extra data:
Jason M. Nagata et al, Display time and manic signs in early adolescents: potential findings from the Adolescent Mind Cognitive Improvement Research, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s00127-025-02814-6
Supplied by
College of Toronto
Quotation:
Display time linked to bipolar and manic signs in U.S. preteens (2025, February 20)
retrieved 20 February 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-02-screen-linked-bipolar-manic-symptoms.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any honest dealing for the aim of personal examine or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
