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Sexting, Risk Behavior, and Mental Health in Adolescents: An Examination of 2015 Pennsylvania Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data
Author(s) -
Frankel Anne S.,
Bass Sarah Bauerle,
Patterson Freda,
Dai Ting,
Brown Deanna
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12596
Subject(s) - mental health , youth risk behavior survey , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , depression (economics) , suicide prevention , confidence interval , suicidal ideation , poison control , psychiatry , demography , environmental health , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
BACKGROUND Sexting, the sharing of sexually suggestive photos, may be a gateway behavior to early sexual activity and increase the likelihood of social ostracism. METHODS Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 6021) data from 2015 among Pennsylvania 9th‐12th grade students were used to examine associations between consensual and nonconsensual sexting and substance use, mental health, neighborhood safety, and demographic variables. RESULTS Almost one‐third (29%) of students reported consensual sexting, while 3% reported nonconsensual sexting. Female students were 49% less likely to report consensual sexting (OR = .69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.54, 0.87]); consensual sexting was significantly more likely in students who reported depressive symptoms (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: [1.10, 1.75]), electronic bullying (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: [1.05, 2.04]), suicide attempts (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: [1.22, 3.17]), current tobacco use (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: [1.30, 3.03]), current alcohol use (OR = 4.23, 95% CI: [3.04, 5.89]), ever having sex (OR = 5.21, 95% CI: [3.87, 7.02]), and reported both ever having sex, and current alcohol use (OR = 7.74, 95% CI: [5.37, 11.14]). CONCLUSIONS High school students, particularly men, that report sexting may be more likely to participate in other risk behaviors and experience negative mental health outcomes. Further research should clarify the temporality of links between sexting, cyberbullying, depression, and suicide to inform mental health screening and treatment availability in high schools.