Screen time, social jetlag, future hope, and ADHD symptoms in university students

This cross-sectional study examined associations between social jetlag (SJL), screen exposure, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in university students. A sample of 321 young adults (mean age = 20.9 years, SD = 2.3; 257 females) was surveyed to assess various behavioral and psychological variables. Measures included total screen time on both workdays (school days) and free days, pre-sleep screen time, SJL as determined by the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, symptoms of ADHD using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1), as well as mood and future hope. Spearman correlations showed ASRS scores were modestly associated with greater screen time (workday r = 0.154, p = 0.006; free day r = 0.218, p = 0.001), longer pre-sleep use (workday r = 0.139, p = 0.012; free day r = 0.164, p = 0.003), and greater SJL (r = 0.176, p = 0.002), and inversely related to future hope (r = -0.247, p = 0.001) and mood (r = -0.219, p = 0.001). In adjusted regressions, free day screen time (B = 0.68, p = 0.032) and SJL (B = 1.10, p = 0.054) were associated with higher ASRS; each 1-h increase in SJL corresponded to a 1.10-point increase (95% CI: -0.01 to 2.22). Greater self-reported sleep need (B = -0.87, p = 0.023), future hope (B = -0.66, p = 0.029), and mood (B = -0.87, p = 0.010) were associated with lower ASRS. Mediation analysis indicated that SJL partially mediated the association between free days pre-sleep screen time and ADHD symptoms (unstandardized indirect effect = 0.26, 95% CI 0.02-0.61). Findings suggest that heavier daily screen exposure and circadian misalignment are associated with greater ADHD-like symptoms and reduced future hope in emerging adults, underscoring potential benefits of regular sleep timing and moderated screen use.