3 - (IOP 41) An Exploration of the Relationship Between Self-reported Depression and Anxiety and Questions Designed to Assess Technology Use

Some studies suggest that higher technology use is associated with poorer mental health, while other studies show weak or no associations. Our research team is developing a tool to screen for technology-related distress and impairment, which may be a more useful predictor of concerning technology use than screen time. Although research suggests that some individuals report distress when using technology, the relationship between technology-related distress and impairment and validated measures of psychopathology has not been investigated. Examining these associations may inform future research and allow clinicians to support clients in addressing concerning technology use. This is an exploratory study that used data from a screening instrument that is in development, and the analysis compared items designed to assess technology use to scores on validated measures of depression and anxiety. Specifically, we examined: 1) the prevalence of endorsed technology-related distress and impairment in a diverse college student sample and 2) comparisons between endorsed technology-related distress and impairment and validated psychometric measures of anxiety and depression. We surveyed 380 college students (mean age = 18.6; 81% female; 36% White Non-Hispanic, 29% Latino/Hispanic; 15% Mixed; 12% Asian; 18% another ethnicity) on measures including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), and face-valid, in-house questions about technology-related distress and impairment. Seventeen percent of respondents reported experiencing distress from leisure technology use “Often” or “Almost Always.” 25% of respondents reported that their use of technology impacts their ability to complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) “Often” or “Almost Always.” Individuals with higher self-reported technology-related distress and impairment also had higher levels of depression and anxiety. In regression models, higher endorsed technology distress and impairment predicted higher levels of anxiety, but not depression. Our findings from this exploratory study suggest that individuals who endorse higher technology-related distress and impairment are also more depressed and anxious on clinically validated measures. In particular, self-reported technology-related distress and impairment seems to predict anxiety more strongly than depression. We plan to explore questions of directionality; for example, do depressed and anxious individuals experience higher technology-related distress and impairment, or is technology-related distress a contributing factor to depression and anxiety? Future work from this program of research aims to focus on screening and interventions to address this mental health concern.