Colouring using phones and tablets was just as effective as using pencils and paper in reducing stress, depression and anxiety in young people.
A new study published in the Journal of Mental Health suggests that some forms of screen time can actually be beneficial to mental wellbeing.
“Research often focuses on the negative consequences of mobile devices,” says Dr Emma Palmer Cooper, an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Southampton, who led the research.
“But the impact of screen time varies by activity, with social media and video games linked to poor mental health. We risk overlooking the potential benefits of using digital devices in ways that can encourages mindfulness.”
Previous research has shown that colouring can improve wellbeing and create a sense of calm by regulating awareness, focusing the mind on the task at hand and providing a distraction from negative thoughts.
Researchers at the University of Southampton wanted to find out colouring using digital devices could produce similar results.
They invited nearly 300 university students to take part in a programme of mindful colouring consisting of at least six sessions over two weeks. Roughly half the students used traditional colouring pencils and paper, while the other half using digital colouring applications.
Students completed questionnaires to measure their wellbeing before and after the programme. Both groups reported significant improvements in stress, mindfulness, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. The biggest benefit was felt by those who reported worse wellbeing prior to taking part in the sessions.
D Palmer-Cooper said: “The transition to university can be a testing time for young people moving away from home and their usual support network. In addition to support from universities, our research shows that mindful colouring is a feasible, low-cost way to improve mental wellbeing, although it might not appeal to everyone.
“Today, digital devices are often more readily accessible to young people than paper and colouring pencils, so it’s encouraging that this format was equally effective. Understanding when and how digital devices can support wellbeing can shift the narrative from focusing solely on harms, to one of opportunity.”
Ends
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Journal of Mental Health
Designing scalable micro‑interventions for student wellbeing in higher education: a comparative study of digital and paper colouring
18-Sep-2026
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).