Unveiling the Digital Maze: A Comprehensive Scoping Review on Problematic Media Use and Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND: While existing research on psychopathology and problematic media use (PMU) in children and adolescents continues to grow and presents a complex, multifaceted issue, the direction of this relationship remains unclear. AIM: This scoping review aims to map the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology (encompassing both symptoms and diagnoses) in children and adolescents. METHODS: This scoping review examines longitudinal studies that addressed the relationship between psychopathology and PMU in children and adolescents (ages 6-18 years old). Searches of databases, reference lists of included studies, and relevant conference abstracts were performed to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers used DistillerSR to organize and screen data independently. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. Data were summarized narratively to map the evidence by design, developmental age, setting, variables of interest, and relationships evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Adolescents were the primary developmental age studied. Internet addiction was the most common type of PMU studied, and depression and anxiety were frequently identified as psychopathological variables of interest. The synthesis of the directionality of the relationship between PMU and psychopathology yielded mixed results, showing no consistent direction of causation. CONCLUSION: Given the variability in directionality, further longitudinal, mixed methods, and qualitative research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between PMU and psychopathology to advance our understanding of child and adolescent mental health in the digital age.