A real, peer-reviewed paper exists and matches the caption closely. The publisher's release states the study "found that 18- to 24-year-olds who had received their first smartphone at age 12 or younger were more likely to report suicidal thoughts, aggression, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and low self-worth." The analysis drew on more than 100,000 respondents aged 18 to 24 from the Global Mind Project, spanning 163 countries.

The paper reports a dose-response pattern: mean Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) scores declined the younger the age of first smartphone ownership. Press materials give an example of an average score of about 30 for those who got a phone at 13, falling to about 1 for those who got one at age five.

Sex differences are reported and are in the direction the post describes. ABC News, citing the study, reported roughly 48 percent of young women who had a smartphone by age 5 or 6 reported severe suicidal thoughts versus about 28 percent of those who got one at 13 or older. The corresponding male figures were about 31 percent versus 20 percent. The earlier 2023 Sapien Labs report on the same question stated these trends were stronger in females than males.

The authors also report that the association appears to be mediated by earlier social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poorer family relationships, which is exactly what the post's caption says.

The authors themselves describe the work as correlational. Lead author Tara Thiagarajan is quoted saying more research is needed "to unravel the causal mechanisms."