Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41720877›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Mental health and depression as mediators between social media use screen time and academic integrity among tertiary students in Ghana.

Simon Ntumi, Daniel Gyapong Nimo, Christina Ammah, Betty Donkor, Sheilla Agbenyo, Harriet Delali Deku, Seth Sunu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Simon NtumiDepartment of Educational Foundations, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Winneba, West Africa, Ghana. sntumi@uew.edu.gh.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7874-4454
Daniel Gyapong NimoDepartment of Interdisciplinary Studies, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, West Africa, Ghana.
Christina AmmahDepartment of Counselling Psychology, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Winneba, West Africa, Ghana.
Betty DonkorBagabaga College of Education, Tamale, West Africa, Ghana.
Sheilla AgbenyoBia Lamplighter College of Education, Sefwi Debiso, West Africa, Ghana.
Harriet Delali DekuDepartment of Education, Komenda College of Education, Komenda, West Africa, Ghana.
Seth SunuSt. Teresa's College of Education, Hohoe, West Africa, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In light of rising concerns over the psychological and academic consequences of excessive digital engagement among College of Education students, this study investigates the complex interplay between social media use, screen time, mental health, and academic outcomes. This study investigated the complex interplay between social media use, screen time, depression, mental health, assessment integrity, and internal assessment scores among tertiary students in Ghana using a cross-sectional correlational design. A total of 970 students from public Colleges of Education across Ghana were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and mediation/moderation models (Hayes PROCESS v4.0). Findings revealed that increased social media use and screen time were significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes (R

Indexed as

Academic PerformanceDepressionMental HealthScreen TimeSocial MediaStudentsAcademiaAdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesDigital MediaFemaleGhanaHumansMaleMedia ExposureUniversitiesAcademic dishonestyAssessment integrityDepressionGhanaInternal assessmentMediation analysisMental healthScreen timeSocial mediaTertiary education

Identifiers

PMID41720877
PMCPMC13021906

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.