Digital Media Habits and Depressive Symptoms in Romanian Health Sciences Students: A Focused Pilot Study on Social Media Use and Gaming Time

Abstract

This focused pilot study aimed to explore specific associations between key digital media habits, namely, time spent on social media applications and video gaming, and the severity of depressive symptoms among undergraduate medical and nursing students at the University of Galați during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 115 students completed standardised measures assessing time spent on social media and gaming, alongside the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and data were analysed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics characterised the sample's digital media engagement and varying levels of depressive symptoms (mean PHQ-9 = 9.72 for medical students; mean PHQ-9 = 8.05 for nursing students). Correlational analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between self-reported time spent on social media applications and PHQ-9 scores, nor between time spent on video games and PHQ-9 scores. Regression analyses further indicated that specific screen time metrics were not significant predictors of depressive symptom severity. These findings suggest that screen time, in isolation, may not adequately capture the complexities of mental health outcomes in this population, highlighting the need for larger, more nuanced studies that investigate additional dimensions of digital engagement and contextual factors pertinent to student mental health in Romania.