Social jet lag and mental health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

In modern society, social jet lag has become increasingly prevalent due to the diversification of work, study, and social activities. While growing evidence suggests a link between social jet lag and mental health, findings remain inconsistent and lack a comprehensive synthesis. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically integrate existing evidence by analyzing 25 observational studies from five electronic databases. The meta-analytic synthesis revealed a statistically significant but small correlation between social jet lag and depressive symptoms (random-effects model: pooled r = 0.049, 95 % CI [0.044, 0.054], p < 0.001, I 2 = 38.2 %), with the effect size falling short of Cohen's threshold for a small effect and explaining only 0.24 % of the variance. While this correlation lacks clinical utility as a diagnostic or prognostic marker, it highlights the need for public health surveillance given its potential population-level implications for preventive strategies. Additionally, a weak but significant negative correlation was found between social jet lag and general mental health (meta-analysis was unfeasible due to insufficient data), while no significant or consistent association emerged with anxiety. These findings collectively suggest that social jet lag exerts a modest yet significant effect on mental health, thereby warranting targeted management strategies in the general population. Due to substantial heterogeneity among studies, the evidence base remains limited. Future research should adopt standardized and objective measures, utilize longitudinal designs, and explore demographic, environmental, and cultural factors to clarify the mechanisms linking social jet lag and mental health, informing prevention and intervention strategies for social jet lag.