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Sexting linked to anxiety, depression, and substance use in teens

Sexting is not inherently dangerous, study authors wrote. But it may be linked to other risky behaviors, especially in younger adolescents.

Sexting is not inherently dangerous, study authors wrote. But it may be linked to other risky behaviors, especially in younger adolescents.
Sexting is not inherently dangerous, study authors wrote. But it may be linked to other risky behaviors, especially in younger adolescents.Read moreiStockphoto (custom credit)

Adolescents who sext are more likely to experience anxiety or depression, use alcohol or other drugs, and engage in sexual activity, a new meta-analysis suggests.

The research, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, was led by the University of Calgary in Canada. Researchers combined data from several previous studies to produce more comprehensive results. Here are the highlights:

The context

Sexting is the exchange of sexual messages, photos, or videos by phone, laptop, or other technology. Previous studies have found about one in four youth receive sexts and one in seven send them.

As sexting becomes more prevalent, a growing body of research has analyzed its link to mental health and sexual behaviors. However individual studies have produced mixed results.

The data

The meta-analysis included more than 41,000 participants from 23 studies. All participants were younger than age 18, and about half were female.

The studies were all published between 2000 and 2018, and analyzed the association between sexting and sexual behaviors or mental health risk factors.

The researchers pooled the data from all the studies and conducted a new analysis.

The results

Based on the data from all 23 studies, researchers found a significant link between sexting and having multiple sexual partners, a lack of contraception use, smoking, drug use, and anxiety or depression — especially in younger adolescents.

Researchers found that adolescents who sext are, on average:

  1. 3.66 times more likely to have engaged in sexual activity

  2. 5.37 times more likely to have multiple sexual partners

  3. 2.16 times more likely to not use contraception

  4. 3.78 times more likely to drink alcohol

  5. 3.48 times more likely to use drugs

  6. 2.66 times more likely to smoke

  7. 1.79 times more likely to have symptoms of anxiety or depression

The caveats

While the meta-analysis found a link between sexting and other behaviors, it can’t prove one causes the other. It’s possible that anxiety or depression may make teens more likely to sext. Or there could be a separate factor that makes teens both more likely to sext and more likely to have mental health risk factors. More research is needed to understand how these associations work or what might be causing them.

Next steps

Sexting is not inherently dangerous, the study authors wrote. But this research suggests it may be linked to other risky behaviors, especially in younger adolescents. As such, researchers recommend educational campaigns teach students from a young age about the risks of sexting and the importance of using technology safely.