Oshima et al.: The Suicidal Feelings, Self-Injury, and Mobile Phone Use After Lights Out in Adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology (2012) 37 (9):1023-1030. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jss072
http://jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/9/1023
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This study is particularly important as it addresses the issue of suicidal and other serious, self-injurious feelings, associated with the amount of cell phone use of teens. CEP was contacted by a parent whose daughter was experiencing emotional problems including severe depression, an eating disorder, and suicidal thinking. When her bedroom was measured for RF radiation levels, these were extremely high. The teen also would sleep with her cell phone beside her, as well as the DECT cordless phone, right near her head. On the other side of the wall was a computer and wireless router, and a collector smart meter was in the street not far from her bedroom window. In addition, a forest of cell towers and antenna were in direct line with her bedroom about 1.5 -2 miles away. Sleeping at another relative’s home tested with far lower levels, and avoiding sleeping with cell phone, reducing use, resolved the entire syndrome. The daughter graduated from high school, is now preparing to attend college and is feeling well. The parent opted out from smart meters as did some neighbors, and removed internal sources of RF radiation but the home was still too impacted by RF radiation (from neighboring smart meters, collector meter on street, and cell antennae) to occupy.
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The Suicidal Feelings, Self-Injury, and Mobile Phone Use After Lights Out in Adolescents
- Norihito Oshima, MD1,
- Atsushi Nishida, PhD2,
- Shinji Shimodera, MD, PhD3,
- Mamoru Tochigi, MD, PhD4,
- Shuntaro Ando, MD, PhD2,4,
- Syudo Yamasaki, PhD2,
- Yuji Okazaki, MD5 and
- Tsukasa Sasaki, MD, PhD1,6
+ Author Affiliations
1Office for Mental Health Support, Division for Counseling and Support, The University of Tokyo, 2Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, 4Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 5Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, and 6Laboratory of Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo
- All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Shinji Shimodera, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Okoh-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan. E-mail: shimodes@kochi-u.ac.jp
- Received October 4, 2011.
- Revision received April 26, 2012.
- Accepted May 3, 2012.
Abstract
Objective To study association between nocturnal mobile phone use and mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury in adolescents. Methods Associations of mobile phone use after lights out with mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury were cross-sectionally examined in 17,920 adolescents using a self-report questionnaire. A series of logistic regression analyses were separately conducted for early (grades 7–9) and late (grades 10–12) adolescents. Results Sleep length was significantly associated with the mobile phone use only in early adolescents. Logistic regression showed significant associations of the nocturnal mobile phone use with poor mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury after controlling for sleep length and other confounders. Conclusions Mobile phone use after lights out may be associated with poor mental health, suicidal feelings, and self-injury in both early and late adolescents. Association between reduced sleep and the mobile phone use was confined to early adolescents.
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- © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
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