Clinical trial NCT06049888: Does Social Media Impact Adolescent Mental Health?
Official title: Causal Effects of Exposure to Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Health
Keywords: social media
mental health
depression
anxiety
Lead sponsor: Georgetown University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
First posted: 2023-09-22
Enrollment: 500
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 10
Maximum age (years): 14
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline since 2011, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public hysteria? In this study, the investigators will conduct the first field experiment in 11-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. is an adolescent who is between the ages of 10 and 14;
2. is an adolescent whose parents have decided to buy them their first smartphone;
3. is an adolescent both of whose parents/guardians consent for them to be in the study;
4. is an adolescent who assents to be in the study; 5) is an adolescent who speaks and reads English sufficiently to complete surveys and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. is an adolescent who has severe developmental problems (e.g., autism, severe language delay);
2. is an adolescent who is currently or has ever been diagnosed with severe or moderately severe mental illness;
3. is an adolescent who is currently or has ever experienced suicidal ideation.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score
timeFrame: Baseline, three months, and six months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Depression Subscale
timeFrame: Baseline, three months, and six months
measure: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Anxiety Subscale
timeFrame: Baseline, three months, and six months
Other outcomes:
measure: DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure Youth Self Report
timeFrame: Baseline, three months, and six months
measure: DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure Parent Report
timeFrame: Baseline, three months, and six months
measure: Upward Social Comparison (EMA)
timeFrame: Every three days throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Offline Social Capital: Quantity of In-Person Social Interactions (EMA)
timeFrame: Every three days throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Offline Social Capital: Quality of In-Person Social Interactions (EMA)
timeFrame: Every three days throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Quantity of Online Social Interactions (Mobile Sensing)
timeFrame: Daily throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Valence of Online Social Interactions (Mobile Sensing)
timeFrame: Daily throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Active (vs Passive) Social Media Use (Mobile Sensing)
timeFrame: Daily throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Passive (vs Active) Social Media Use (Mobile Sensing)
timeFrame: Daily throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
measure: Time Spent in Specific Social Media Apps (Mobile Sensing)
timeFrame: Daily throughout the study with two averages computed for 0 to 3 months and 3 to 6 months.
Locations:
city: Washington
country: United States
facility: Georgetown University
state: District of Columbia
Study officials:
References: