Screen Time and Psychological Distress Among Young Adults: Assessment Using DASS-21

Abstract

Background: Excessive screen time has emerged as a major public health concern among young adults, with increasing evidence suggesting its detrimental effects on mental health. However, data from the Indian population remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association between screen time and psychological distress among young adults using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21).

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 113 apparently healthy young adults aged 18–25 years. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, smartphone use, weekly screen time, and night-time screen exposure were collected using a structured questionnaire. Psychological distress was assessed using the validated DASS-21 instrument. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD), whereas categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26.0, and a two-tailed p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean duration of smartphone use was 8.84 ± 10.62 years, and the mean weekly screen time was 49.98 ± 15.17 hours. Night-time screen use (8:00 PM–8:00 AM) was reported by 81.42% of participants. According to DASS-21 scores, 41.59% of participants had normal depression scores, while mild, moderate, severe, and very severe depression were observed in 21.24%, 21.24%, 7.96%, and 7.96% of participants, respectively. Normal anxiety scores were observed in 40.71% of participants, whereas moderate, severe, and very severe anxiety were present in 27.43%, 10.62%, and 21.24%, respectively. Stress assessment demonstrated that 40.71% of participants had normal stress levels, while 23.89%, 19.47%, 12.39%, and 2.65% exhibited mild, moderate, severe, and very severe stress, respectively. Participants with greater screen exposure demonstrated significantly higher psychological distress, with a significant positive association between weekly screen time and DASS-21 scores (p <0.0001). Furthermore, increasing stress severity was associated with progressively higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Conclusions: Prolonged screen exposure was significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adults. The high prevalence of night-time screen use and psychological distress underscores the need for interventions promoting responsible digital device use and mental health awareness in this vulnerable population. Longitudinal studies are warranted to establish causal relationships between screen exposure and psychological outcomes.