PeerScreen: See if cutting screen time helps mental health in teens and young adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study is a parallel-group cluster-randomized trial involving peer groups of 13–24 year-olds. Groups are randomly assigned to a four-week screen-media reduction plan or to a control condition with usual screen use, after a 14-day baseline period. The intervention sets limits such as no more than one hour of smartphone use per day, up to 14 hours per week of non-smartphone screens, and keeping devices out of the bedroom. Data are collected through questionnaires, daily self-reports, and objective monitoring of screen time, sleep, physical activity, heart rate variability, social interactions, and geolocation. The primary question is whether reducing screen media use improves mental health, with secondary observations on behavior and well-being.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants must have at least 2 hours/day of self-reported smartphone use during leisure time (data from the survey study)
* Members of each participant's household must be willing to support the participant in adhering to the prescribed intervention (data from recruitment interview)
* Participants must have enough discretionary leisure time for possible in-person activities on a weekly basis throughout the study period (verified at the information meeting)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participants with no smartphone will be excluded (data from recruitment interview)
* Participants with no social media profiles will be excluded (data from recruitment interview)
* Participants who currently participate in other experimental studies will be excluded (data from recruitment interview)
* Participants who have been hospitalized or prescribed sick leave within the past 3 months due to a mental illness will be excluded (data from recruitment interview)

Where it's running

• University of Southern Denmark
  Odense, Denmark, Denmark Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Anders Grøntved, PhD — University of Southern Denmark
• Study coordinator: Jesper Schmidt-Persson, PhD
• Email: jespedersen@health.sdu.dk
• Phone: +4565502054

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.