JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Short-form videos (SFV) have emerged as a dominant trend in digital content sharing over the past decade, gaining rapid global popularity. The relationship between SFV use and psychological health has been examined in numerous studies, yielding contradictory results.

Objective:

This study aims to provide the first comprehensive synthesis examining the relationship between SFV usage and mental health outcomes, distinguishing between problematic and routine usage behaviors.

Methods:

Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for relevant literature up to March 15, 2025. Statistical metrics reflecting the relationship between SFV use and mental health outcome indicators were extracted for meta-analysis, such as Pearson correlation coefficients, Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, and β coefficients. For intervention and longitudinal studies, we extracted the correlation coefficients at baseline. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the risk of bias.

Results:

48 studies with a cumulative sample of 85733 participants were included for the analysis. Results showed no significant correlations between SFV use and positive psychological states, but significant positive correlations with negative psychological states including depression (r = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.33), anxiety (r = 0.25, CI: 0.14 to 0.35), stress (r = 0.36, CI: 0.12 to 0.57), negative affect (r = 0.22, CI: 0.1 to 0.33), loneliness (r = 0.33, CI: 0.25 to 0.41), and boredom (r = 0.45, CI: 0.33 to 0.65). Subgroup analyses revealed substantial differences between usage patterns: problematic use demonstrated significant negative associations with subjective well-being (r = −0.26, 95% CI: −0.35 to −0.14) and stronger positive correlations with adverse mental health outcomes, while routine usage showed no significant associations with negative affect or stress, and exhibited a significant negative correlation with anxiety (r = −0.16, CI: −0.26 to −0.25), suggesting potential anxiety-relieving functions.

Conclusions:

This study supports that SFV might be associated with negative mental health. Further investigations should consider objective measurement instruments that accurately reflect modern SFV usage patterns and distinguish between qualitatively different engagement styles. Research incorporating more geographically diverse samples is needed, and prospective and experimental research designs are required to establish causality and track potential temporal changes in these associations. Clinical Trial: The review protocol was registered in advance in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database under Registration ID: CRD420251015620.