IMH Study Reveals 46.4% of S’porean Youths Have ‘Problematic Smartphone Use’, Linked to Depression & Other Mental Health Issues

There’s a high chance that you’re currently reading this article on your smartphone. If you are, this study might be of particular interest to you.

Almost Half Of Singaporean Youths Have “Problematic Smartphone Use”

Researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) have conducted a study which found that almost half of Singaporean youth aged between 15 and 21 have “problematic smartphone use.”

Sounds alarming right? Well, it gets worse.

Unfortunately, this behaviour could be linked to poorer mental health.

According to the IMH researchers, “problematic smartphone use” is defined as dependence and time spent on smartphone devices, and the problems caused.

The Study

A total of 6,509 participants were surveyed comprising Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged between 15 and 65 years old.

The nationwide study, which was funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health, was conducted over 15 months from April 2021 to July 2022.

Participants were asked to fill up questionnaires that measured the extent of their smartphone addictions and how this has affected their mental health.

They were then asked to answer to what extent they agreed or disagreed with statements regarding the use of smartphones.

Here are some of the statements.

Dependence:

• Won’t be able to stand not having a smartphone
• Feeling impatient and fretful when not holding a smartphone
• Constantly checking smartphone so as not to miss conversations between other people on Twitter, or Facebook or Instagram
• Having my smartphone on my mind even when I am not using it

Problems:

• Missing planned work due to smartphone use
• Having a hard time concentrating in class while doing assignments, or while working due to smartphone use
• Feeling pain in the wrists or at the back of the neck while using a smartphone

Time spent:

• Using my smartphone longer than I had intended
• The people around me tell me that I use my smartphone too much

The Results

The study revealed that individuals who are affected were more likely than those without problematic smartphone use to have poor mental health.

This includes having symptoms of moderate or severe depression, anxiety and insomnia.

46.4% of Singaporeans aged between 15 and 21 had problematic smartphone use behaviour.

When the age range was expanded to 15 to 65 years old, the percentage fell to 30.23%.

The study also revealed that individuals aged 15 to 34 were most likely to experience problematic smartphone use since those who are younger may depend on smartphones to socialise.

In addition, they tend to have lower self-control and higher social stress and anxiety.

Use Of Smartphones In Singapore

According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, 97% of local residents aged 18 and above own a smartphone. In 2022, the number of smartphone users in Singapore was around 5.57 million.