Abstract Background: Currently, medical students need to access knowledge and sometimes curriculum through digital platforms, which affects their screen time (ST) and impacts their mental well-being. Therefore, we attempted to find out the association between ST with depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep in these students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online among medical students of a Northeast Central Medical Institute through standard questionnaires, and responses were analyzed. Results: Among 100 respondents (41 males and 59 females) and a mean age of 21.06 ± 1.37 years, 74% reported ST >4 h, with females having higher daily ST than males. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Score revealed 66% of students with depression, 77% with anxiety, and 34% with stress. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score showed that 21% (9 males and 12 females) with moderate daytime sleepiness, whereas 56% (23 males and 33 females) reported excessive sleepiness. A significant positive correlation existed between increased ST and depression ( P < 0.001), anxiety ( P < 0.001), and stress ( P < 0.001). ESS scores correlated significantly with depression ( P = 0.02) and stress ( P = 0.036). Females exhibited two times higher severity of depression, anxiety, and stress than males. Conclusion: We conclude that increased ST is associated with various degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students. It also increased daytime sleepiness among the participants, irrespective of gender.
Sultana et al. (Mon,) studied this question.