Relations among Screen Time and Commonly Co-occurring Conditions in Autistic Youth

Autistic youth engage in higher levels of screen time and are more likely to experience mental health problems than their typically developing peers; however, few studies have investigated a potential relationship between daily screen time hours and mental health in autistic youth. This study examined the relations among daily screen time hours and commonly co-occurring psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, depression, conduct/behavioral problems, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) in autistic youth utilizing data from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Results indicated screen time was significantly related to conduct problems; however, contrary to findings from studies with neurotypical samples, screen time was not significantly related to anxiety, depression, or ADHD diagnoses in autistic children and adolescents.