Boys who play video games most days ‘have lower risk of depression’
3 min readBoys who regularly play video games aged 11 are less likely to develop and exhibit depressive symptoms by the age of 14, a new study has suggested.
The report examined the internet and gaming habits of 11,341 adolescents born in the UK between 2000 and 2002, questioning how much time they spent on social media, playing video games or surfing the web.
Boys who played video games most days when they were 11-years old exhibited 24 per cent fewer depressive symptoms than those who played less than once a month when asked about depressive symptoms, including low moods, loss of pleasure and poor concentration, three years later.
However, this was only noted among boys with low recorded activity levels, which the researchers said could demonstrate the enjoyment and social interaction less-active boys derived from playing games. The same link was not observed in girls.
Social media linked with depressive symptoms in girls
Conversely, girls who used social media most days when they were 11 had 13 per cent more depressive symptoms than their counterparts who used it less than once a month, although the researchers said there was no established association for “more moderate use”. Again, the same pattern was not found in boys.
The study which was carried out by researchers from UCL, the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia and was published in the journal Psychological Medicine, did not account for social contact or parenting styles the children may have been subject to. It also did not record the hours of screen time the participants accrued.
However, it did take into account other external factors including prior emotional symptoms, socioeconomic status and reports of bullying, alongside physical activity levels, and measured the depressive symptoms on a spectrum scale instead of a clinical diagnosis.
Its findings illustrate the differences in how differing kinds of screen time can affect girls and boys, and could be used to influence recommended guidelines for adolescents, the authors suggested.
“Screens allow us to engage in a wide range of activities. Guidelines and recommendations about screen time should be based on our understanding of how these different activities might influence mental health and whether that influence is meaningful,” said PhD student Aaron Kandola, from UCL Psychiatry.
“While we cannot confirm whether playing video games actually improves mental health, it didn’t appear harmful in our study and may have some benefits. Particularly during the pandemic, video games have been an important social platform for young people.
“We need to reduce how much time children – and adults – spend sitting down, for their physical and mental health, but that doesn’t mean that screen use is inherently harmful.”
More research is needed to gain greater understanding into how mentally engaging types of screen time (such as playing computer games) might not have as significant a bearing on risk of depression in the same way that more passive screen consumption appears to, said senior author Dr Mats Hallgren from the Karolinska Institutet.
“The relationship between screen time and mental health is complex, and we still need more research to help understand it. Any initiatives to reduce young people’s screen time should be targeted and nuanced,” he said.
“Our research points to possible benefits of screen time; however, we should still encourage young people to be physically active and to break up extended periods of sitting with light physical activity.”
