Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)

Grace Wood; Vicky Goodyear; Peymane Adab; Hareth Al-Janabi; Sally Fenton; Kirsty Jones; Maria Michail; Breanna Morrison; Paul Patterson; Alice Sitch; Matthew  Wade; Miranda Pallan

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832

Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)

Grace Wood, Vicky Goodyear^*, Peymane Adab, Hareth Al-Janabi, Sally Fenton, Kirsty Jones, Maria Michail, Breanna Morrison, Paul Patterson, Alice Sitch, Matthew Wade, Miranda Pallan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Smartphone and social media use is prevalent during adolescence, with high levels of use associated with lower levels of mental well-being. Secondary schools in the UK have introduced policies that restrict daytime use of smartphones and social media, but there is no evaluation on the impact of these policies on adolescent mental well-being. The SMART Schools Study aims to determine the impact of daytime restrictions of smartphone and social media use on indicators of adolescent mental well-being, anxiety, depression, physical activity, sleep, classroom behaviour, attainment and addictive social media use.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods. Secondary schools within a 100 mile radius of the recruiting centre in the West Midlands (UK) have been categorised into two groups: Schools that restrict (intervention) and permit (comparator) daytime use of smartphones. We aim to recruit 30 schools (20 restrictive, 10 permissive) and 1170 pupils aged 12-13 and 14-15 years. We will collect data on mental well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, phone and social media use, sleep and physical activity from pupil surveys, and accelerometers. Policy implementation measures and data on individual pupil factors will be collected through school staff surveys, and website/policy analysis. Six case study schools will explore individual, school and family/home factors that influence relationships between school smartphone policies, smartphone/social media use, and mental well-being. Economic evaluation will be completed through a cost-consequence analysis from an education sector perspective.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Birmingham's Research Ethics Committee (ERN_22-0723). Parents/carers of pupil participants can complete a form to opt their child out of the study. Pupil, school staff and parent/carer participants are asked to complete online/written consent (or assent). Findings will be disseminated through policy briefings, resources for schools, social media, reports, and open access publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN77948572.

Original language	English
Article number	e075832
Number of pages	10
Journal	BMJ open
Volume	13
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832
Publication status	Published - 5 Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Adolescent
Child
Humans
England
Policy
Schools
Smartphone
Social Media

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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SMART Schools: Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental wellbeing: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use
Adab, P., Goodyear, V., Pallan, M., Sitch, A., Michail, M., Al-Janabi, H. & Fenton, S.
NIHR
1/04/22 → 31/07/25
Project: Other Government Departments

Cite this

Wood, G., Goodyear, V., Adab, P., Al-Janabi, H., Fenton, S., Jones, K., Michail, M., Morrison, B., Patterson, P., Sitch, A., Wade, M., & Pallan, M. (2023). Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study). BMJ open, 13(7), Article e075832. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832

@article{1ae5274f554b4df982d905e5fc51b404,

title = "Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)",

abstract = "INTRODUCTION: Smartphone and social media use is prevalent during adolescence, with high levels of use associated with lower levels of mental well-being. Secondary schools in the UK have introduced policies that restrict daytime use of smartphones and social media, but there is no evaluation on the impact of these policies on adolescent mental well-being. The SMART Schools Study aims to determine the impact of daytime restrictions of smartphone and social media use on indicators of adolescent mental well-being, anxiety, depression, physical activity, sleep, classroom behaviour, attainment and addictive social media use.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods. Secondary schools within a 100 mile radius of the recruiting centre in the West Midlands (UK) have been categorised into two groups: Schools that restrict (intervention) and permit (comparator) daytime use of smartphones. We aim to recruit 30 schools (20 restrictive, 10 permissive) and 1170 pupils aged 12-13 and 14-15 years. We will collect data on mental well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, phone and social media use, sleep and physical activity from pupil surveys, and accelerometers. Policy implementation measures and data on individual pupil factors will be collected through school staff surveys, and website/policy analysis. Six case study schools will explore individual, school and family/home factors that influence relationships between school smartphone policies, smartphone/social media use, and mental well-being. Economic evaluation will be completed through a cost-consequence analysis from an education sector perspective.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Birmingham's Research Ethics Committee (ERN_22-0723). Parents/carers of pupil participants can complete a form to opt their child out of the study. Pupil, school staff and parent/carer participants are asked to complete online/written consent (or assent). Findings will be disseminated through policy briefings, resources for schools, social media, reports, and open access publications.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN77948572.",

keywords = "Adolescent, Child, Humans, England, Policy, Schools, Smartphone, Social Media",

author = "Grace Wood and Vicky Goodyear and Peymane Adab and Hareth Al-Janabi and Sally Fenton and Kirsty Jones and Maria Michail and Breanna Morrison and Paul Patterson and Alice Sitch and Matthew Wade and Miranda Pallan",

note = "{\textcopyright} Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.",

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Wood, G, Goodyear, V , Adab, P , Al-Janabi, H , Fenton, S, Jones, K, Michail, M , Morrison, B, Patterson, P, Sitch, A, Wade, M & Pallan, M 2023, 'Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)', BMJ open, vol. 13, no. 7, e075832. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832

Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study). / Wood, Grace; Goodyear, Vicky ; Adab, Peymane et al.
In: BMJ open, Vol. 13, No. 7, e075832, 05.07.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being

T2 - the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)

AU - Wood, Grace

AU - Goodyear, Vicky

AU - Adab, Peymane

AU - Al-Janabi, Hareth

AU - Fenton, Sally

AU - Jones, Kirsty

AU - Michail, Maria

AU - Morrison, Breanna

AU - Patterson, Paul

AU - Sitch, Alice

AU - Wade, Matthew

AU - Pallan, Miranda

PY - 2023/7/5

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N2 - INTRODUCTION: Smartphone and social media use is prevalent during adolescence, with high levels of use associated with lower levels of mental well-being. Secondary schools in the UK have introduced policies that restrict daytime use of smartphones and social media, but there is no evaluation on the impact of these policies on adolescent mental well-being. The SMART Schools Study aims to determine the impact of daytime restrictions of smartphone and social media use on indicators of adolescent mental well-being, anxiety, depression, physical activity, sleep, classroom behaviour, attainment and addictive social media use.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods. Secondary schools within a 100 mile radius of the recruiting centre in the West Midlands (UK) have been categorised into two groups: Schools that restrict (intervention) and permit (comparator) daytime use of smartphones. We aim to recruit 30 schools (20 restrictive, 10 permissive) and 1170 pupils aged 12-13 and 14-15 years. We will collect data on mental well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, phone and social media use, sleep and physical activity from pupil surveys, and accelerometers. Policy implementation measures and data on individual pupil factors will be collected through school staff surveys, and website/policy analysis. Six case study schools will explore individual, school and family/home factors that influence relationships between school smartphone policies, smartphone/social media use, and mental well-being. Economic evaluation will be completed through a cost-consequence analysis from an education sector perspective.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Birmingham's Research Ethics Committee (ERN_22-0723). Parents/carers of pupil participants can complete a form to opt their child out of the study. Pupil, school staff and parent/carer participants are asked to complete online/written consent (or assent). Findings will be disseminated through policy briefings, resources for schools, social media, reports, and open access publications.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN77948572.

AB - INTRODUCTION: Smartphone and social media use is prevalent during adolescence, with high levels of use associated with lower levels of mental well-being. Secondary schools in the UK have introduced policies that restrict daytime use of smartphones and social media, but there is no evaluation on the impact of these policies on adolescent mental well-being. The SMART Schools Study aims to determine the impact of daytime restrictions of smartphone and social media use on indicators of adolescent mental well-being, anxiety, depression, physical activity, sleep, classroom behaviour, attainment and addictive social media use.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods. Secondary schools within a 100 mile radius of the recruiting centre in the West Midlands (UK) have been categorised into two groups: Schools that restrict (intervention) and permit (comparator) daytime use of smartphones. We aim to recruit 30 schools (20 restrictive, 10 permissive) and 1170 pupils aged 12-13 and 14-15 years. We will collect data on mental well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, phone and social media use, sleep and physical activity from pupil surveys, and accelerometers. Policy implementation measures and data on individual pupil factors will be collected through school staff surveys, and website/policy analysis. Six case study schools will explore individual, school and family/home factors that influence relationships between school smartphone policies, smartphone/social media use, and mental well-being. Economic evaluation will be completed through a cost-consequence analysis from an education sector perspective.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Birmingham's Research Ethics Committee (ERN_22-0723). Parents/carers of pupil participants can complete a form to opt their child out of the study. Pupil, school staff and parent/carer participants are asked to complete online/written consent (or assent). Findings will be disseminated through policy briefings, resources for schools, social media, reports, and open access publications.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN77948572.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Child

KW - Humans

KW - England

KW - Policy

KW - Schools

KW - Smartphone

KW - Social Media

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DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832

M3 - Article

C2 - 37407051

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 13

JO - BMJ open

JF - BMJ open

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ER -

Wood G, Goodyear V , Adab P , Al-Janabi H , Fenton S, Jones K et al. Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study). BMJ open. 2023 Jul 5;13(7):e075832. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832

Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

SMART Schools: Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental wellbeing: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use

Cite this