Richard Bermudes, MD, on screen-related addictions and youth mental health

Concerns about youth screen use continue to deepen as evidence links addictive engagement with social media, mobile phones, and video games to elevated risks of mental health symptoms and suicidal behaviors. A large cohort study from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, previously reported in JAMA, highlighted that it is not total screen time, but patterns of addictive use that are most strongly tied to poor outcomes in adolescents.

Richard A. Bermudes, MD, psychiatrist, chief medical officer of BrainsWay, and associate physician at the University of California Davis, emphasized that these risks align with what is already known about behavioral addictions. “It gets back to what we know about addictions and what might be called behavioral addictions, and how these affect the brain,” he said.

Importantly, Bermudes cautioned that studies like the ABCD analysis reflect associations, not causation. Still, he noted that the psychiatric community has robust evidence about how such conditions manifest. “We know these are highly comorbid with other mental health conditions, specifically with anxiety and depression. And we also know that when we see these addictions with screens or social media or video games, the comorbidity rate is 30% to 40% with mood and anxiety disorders,” he explained.

“The good news is we know that there are evidence-based treatments for addictions,” he added, pointing to the progress in addressing both substance and behavioral addictions with structured, validated approaches. “We have to keep the conversation going about how our youth are using screens. Are they using it to escape, or is there dysfunction? And then we have to screen for mental health conditions,” he said.

He emphasized that addressing the issue is not a one-time intervention but an ongoing process involving pediatricians, parents, and adolescents in active dialogue. Evidence-based interviewing and psychological techniques can help motivate families toward appropriate treatment when needed.

“These are brain-based conditions,” Bermudes concluded. “There’s been a lot of research into these conditions—addictions, mood, and anxiety—and we have evidence-based, FDA-cleared treatments for them.”

Reference:

Ebert M. Addictive screen use tied to youth mental health risks. Contemporary Pediatrics. June 19, 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/addictive-screen-use-tied-to-youth-mental-health-risks