Association between problematic smartphone use and mental health among high school students in southern Brazil.

Authors

Bruno Pedrini de Almeida, Rafael Clain Martins, Laís Werneck Azevedo, Eduardo Gauze Alexandrino, Pâmela Moraes Volz, Michael Pereira da Silva, Samuel Carvalho Dumith

Published in

Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo. Volume 44. Pages e2026001. Epub Nov 09, 2026.

Abstract

To investigate the association between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and mental health symptoms among high school students in the south of Brazil.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 to assess mental health symptoms using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. PSU was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version, with scores ≥33 indicating PSU. Dichotomous variables were created to assess the presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Associations were tested using Fisher's exact test and Poisson regression with robust variance.
Most participants were boys (55.2%), and 52.5% aged ≥18 years. PSU prevalence was 35.5%, while depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms had prevalence values of 37.1, 44.7, and 45.7%, respectively, and 62.7% of the students exhibited at least one symptom. Among students with PSU, the proportion of symptoms was significntly higher: 44.8% for anxiety (p=0.017), 57.1% for depression (p<0.001), and 58.2% for stress (p<0.001). As per the adjusted analysis, students with PSU had higher prevalence of depression (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.56) and stress (PR 1.34; 95%CI 1.09-1.64) symptoms, and at least one of the three symptoms (PR 1.24; 95%CI 1.08-1.43), when compared to those without PSU.
In this study, PSU was associated with higher prevalence of mental health symptoms among high school students in the south of Brazil. These results provide evidence that can guide clinical practice and public health policies aimed at promoting mental health.

PMID:
43017996
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Nov 2026.

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