The Microwave Factor: The Suicidal Feelings, Self-Injury, and Mobile Phone Use After Lights Out in Adolescents

Monday, February 01, 2016

The Suicidal Feelings, Self-Injury, and Mobile Phone Use After Lights Out in Adolescents

Norihito Oshima, MD¹,

Atsushi Nishida, PhD²,

Shinji Shimodera, MD, PhD³,

Mamoru Tochigi, MD, PhD⁴,

Shuntaro Ando, MD, PhD²,⁴,

Syudo Yamasaki, PhD²,

Yuji Okazaki, MD⁵ and

Tsukasa Sasaki, MD, PhD¹,⁶

+¹Office for Mental Health Support, Division for Counseling and Support, The University of Tokyo, ²Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, ³Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, ⁴Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, ⁵Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, and ⁶Laboratory of Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Shinji Shimodera, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Okoh-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan. E-mail: shimodes@kochi-u.ac.jp

Received October 4, 2011.

Revision received April 26, 2012.

Accepted May 3, 2012.

Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective To study association between nocturnal mobile phone use and mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury in adolescents. Methods Associations of mobile phone use after lights out with mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury were cross-sectionally examined in 17,920 adolescents using a self-report questionnaire. A series of logistic regression analyses were separately conducted for early (grades 7–9) and late (grades 10–12) adolescents. Results Sleep length was significantly associated with the mobile phone use only in early adolescents. Logistic regression showed significant associations of the nocturnal mobile phone use with poor mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury after controlling for sleep length and other confounders. Conclusions Mobile phone use after lights out may be associated with poor mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury in both early and late adolescents. Association between reduced sleep and the mobile phone use was confined to early adolescents.