Attachment anxiety, loneliness, rumination and mobile phone dependence: A cross-sectional analysis of a moderated mediation model

Mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students: the contribution of irrational beliefs and solitude

This research aimed to explore the impact of selected psychological variables on mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students. Specifically, the study focused on the relationship between solitude and irrational beliefs on mobile phone dependence. The study included 2,888 university students from Guangdong, Southern China, and found that both irrational beliefs and solitude had significant direct effects on mobile phone dependence. The study also revealed that solitude mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and mobile phone dependence. The results of this study indicate that psychosocial environments, including feelings of solitude and irrational beliefs, can influence mobile phone dependence among undergraduate students. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to these factors and their potential impact on student behavior, particularly when it comes to academic growth and development. Further research in this area may help identify effective strategies to address mobile phone dependence among university students and promote healthier psychosocial environments.

Linking Self-Esteem to Problematic Mobile Phone Use: A Moderated Mediation Model of Fear of Missing Out and Ruminative Subtypes

Low self-esteem has been identified as a risk factor for problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). However, the magnitude of self-esteem's effect on PMPU varied across different studies. Drawing on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model and the response styles theory, this study developed a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) and the moderating roles of ruminative subtypes (i.e., brooding and reflection) in the relationship between self-esteem and PMPU. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 806 undergraduate students (Mage = 19.35 years, SD = 1.18) using the convenience sampling method. Results showed that self-esteem was negatively associated with PMPU. Mediation analysis revealed that the association between self-esteem and PMPU was mediated by FoMO. Furthermore, moderated mediation analyses revealed that the mediating effect of FoMO was moderated by both brooding and reflection, such that the indirect effect became stronger for individuals with higher levels of brooding/reflection. These findings add to previous research by shedding light on how (i.e., mediation) and under what conditions (i.e., moderation) self-esteem is associated with PMPU and have implications for early prevention and intervention of individual PMPU.

The chain mediating role of rumination and social withdrawal in the relationship between smartphone distraction and depression among Chinese nursing students

Smartphone distraction (SD) is closely related to depression, and the prevalence of SD among nursing students is gradually increasing. However, the potential mechanism of the effect of SD on nursing students' depression is unclear. A total of 574 nursing students were assessed using Smartphone Distraction Scale, Ruminative Response Scale, Hikikomori Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The results indicated that SD among nursing students had an impact on depression through four pathways: (1) SD was positively associated with depression (β = 0.353, P < 0.001); (2) Rumination (β = 0.199, 95% CI: 0.081 to 0.162) and social withdrawal (β = 0.061, 95% CI: 0.034 to 0.091) mediated the effects of SD on depression, respectively; and (3) Rumination and social withdrawal played a chain mediating role in the effect of SD on nursing students' depression (β = 0.027, 95% CI: 0.015 to 0.042). The negative impact of SD on nursing students' mental health should not be taken lightly. Schools and hospitals should guide nursing students to use smartphones correctly, including providing mental health education and professional psychological counselling; families could play a supervisory role and communicate regularly to understand the psychological state and learning of nursing students. These measures can help nursing students cope with stress and reduce the risk of depression.

What is high rumination?

OBJECTIVE

The current paper tries to illuminate the need for standard cutoff points.

INTRODUCTION

rumination is considered to be a transdiagnostic process leading to a variety of consequences. But, what is prominent ruminative tendency? Are there agreed-upon specifications or cutoff points that distinguish between high and low tendency to ruminate? In an attempt to answer these questions, we reviewed 25 works that compared people characterized as high or low in rumination. We found numerous inconsistencies in the characterization criteria and a great variability in cutoff points. Most studies did not provide enough information about the cutoff criteria or values.

METHOD

We examined a sample of 454 participants using the RRS (Ruminative Response Scale), from which we tried to identify standard cutoff points.

RESULTS SHOWED

1) distributions of RRS, brooding and reflective pondering; 2) most studies used median split, which might explain the differences among studies; 3) examination of standard scores for the various cutoffs presented big variability among the studies; and 4) women had higher scores of rumination and brooding than men.

CONCLUSION

Our paper highlights the need for homogeneity in the field. It suggests addressing the RRS, brooding and reflective pondering distributions as references for future studies. We recommend specifying: cutoff criteria, cutoff values, range, means and standard deviations. Researchers should consider the specific population (i.e., men vs. women or clinical vs. non clinical) of interest and infer specific cutoff points accordingly. Importantly, researchers should consider the implications of their choice of cutoff points and apply their criterion accordingly.

Changes in Chinese college students' mobile phone addiction over recent decade: The perspective of cross-temporal meta-analysis

In recent years, with the rapid advancement of Internet technology and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phones have been used more frequently, the development trend of mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students is a concern to society. This cross-temporal meta-analysis provides compelling evidence of the rising trend of mobile phone addiction in Chinese college students based on data from 42 independent studies (Sample Size = 49,544) over the past decade (2013-2022), and discuss the three important rising periods. Furthermore, extended research has revealed correlated factors of mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students, including gender, anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, well-being, social support, and resilience. Additionally, the study identified the National internet penetration rate and the National GDP index as significant predictors of mobile phone addiction in Chinese college students. These findings not only reveal the changing trends of mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students, but also enrich the understanding of mobile phone addiction among this population and provide a reference for improving mobile phone addiction among in the future.

The relationship between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students: the chain mediating effect of coping styles and mobile phone addiction

BACKGROUND

Bedtime procrastination refers to an individual's inability to go to bed at a predetermined time without external obstacles. Previous researchers have found that the bedtime procrastination is harmful to human physical and mental health, but these research on bedtime procrastination have mostly focused on exploring individual factors, while ignoring the external environmental factors. Therefore, this is the first study to investigate bedtime procrastination from the perspective of family environments.

METHODS

The study was conducted using a convenient sampling method and online questionnaires. Family Cohesion Scale, Coping Styles Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale and Bedtime Procrastination Scale were used to measure sleep and psychological condition of 1,048 college students.

RESULTS

Family cohesion negatively predicted bedtime procrastination. Additionally, positive coping style and mobile phone addiction had significant independent mediating effects. Furthermore, positive coping style and mobile phone addiction had chain mediating effects between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the effect of coping styles and mobile phone addiction on the relationship between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students. These findings explained the mechanisms of bedtime procrastination from the perspective of environment, so as to effectively intervene the bedtime procrastination of college students from the perspective of external environment.

Attachment Anxiety and Nomophobia: A Moderated Parallel Mediation Model

Nomophobia is the state of being anxious or disturbed when feeling disconnected from the digital world and can have a significant impact on individuals' health and well-being. Drawing upon attachment theory and the previous literature on nomophobia, this study aims to understand how attachment anxiety influences nomophobia and whether this relationship differs between males and females. In the Human Penguin Project (HPP) (N = 1221; 12 countries; participants aged ≥20 years), the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire-Revised (ECR-R), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) were used to assess attachment anxiety, alexithymia, perceived stress, and nomophobia, respectively. The results demonstrated that (1) there were significant positive correlations between attachment anxiety, nomophobia, alexithymia, and perceived stress. Additionally, (2) there was a direct and significant effect of attachment anxiety on nomophobia, and alexithymia and perceived stress partially mediated this relationship. Finally, (3) gender significantly moderated the relationship between attachment anxiety and nomophobia. Specifically, the predicted effect was significant in both males and females, but the direct effect of attachment anxiety and nomophobia was stronger in males.

Family cohesion and adaptability reduces mobile phone addiction: the mediating and moderating roles of automatic thoughts and peer attachment

With the popularity of mobile Internet devices, the incidence of mobile phone addiction has been increasing, which has aroused the concern of all sectors of society. Due to the difficulty of eliminating the risk factors of mobile phone addiction, it's significant for researchers to examine the function and underlying mechanisms of positive environmental factors in reducing individuals' mobile phone addiction. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction among university students and analyzed the mediating role of automatic thoughts as well as the moderating role of peer attachment in this link. The sample consisted of 958 Chinese university students. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing family cohesion and adaptability, mobile phone addiction, automatic thoughts, and peer attachment. PROCESS model 8 was significant (the total effect model (F (5, 952) = 19.64, R² = 0.09, p < 0.001)). Results indicated that family cohesion and adaptability could not only negatively predict mobile phone addiction directly, but also indirectly through the mediating effect of automatic thoughts. Moreover, both the direct association between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction as well as the indirect effect of automatic thoughts were moderated by peer attachment. Findings emphasized the beneficial role of peer attachment on the effect of family cohesion and adaptability on automatic thoughts and mobile phone addiction.

The relationship between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction among college students: The mediating effect of executive dysfunction

Smartphone addiction symptom is increasing globally. Many studies have found that negative emotion is associated with smartphone addiction, but few explore the mediating effect of executive dysfunction. In a large-scale, cross-sectional survey, 421 Chinese college students completed measures on anxiety, depression, smartphone addiction, and executive dysfunction. We surveyed the prevalence of depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the questionnaire structure, and the mediation models were used to examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. The main finding indicated that anxiety, depression, and executive dysfunction were positively and significantly associated with smartphone addiction. Executive dysfunction plays a mediation role between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction. Specifically, executive dysfunction completely mediates the pathway of anxiety and smartphone addiction and partly mediates the path of depression and smartphone addiction. Depression directly predicted smartphone addiction positively but anxiety did not. The sample consisted of Chinese college students, which limits generalizability and self-reported lack of objectivity. The result suggests that we should pay more attention to the mediating role of executive dysfunction between negative emotion and smartphone addiction.

Internalizing symptoms, rumination, and problematic social networking site use: A cross national examination among young adults in seven countries

BACKGROUND

As daily engagement with social networking sites (SNS) increases globally, identifying and understanding the risk factors associated with problematic SNS use is of utmost importance. Researchers are interested in understanding internalizing symptoms as both a risk factor and a negative consequence of problematic SNS use. Prior research has proposed rumination alongside internalizing symptoms as a risk factor, though limited research has examined these associations across different cultures.

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the indirect associations between internalizing symptoms (specifically depressive and social anxiety symptoms) and problematic SNS use via rumination among a cross-cultural sample.

METHOD

Participants were 8,912 (70.8 % female; Mean age = 20.25, SD = 3.95) college students recruited across seven countries (U.S., Canada, Spain, England, Argentina, Uruguay, and South Africa) who completed measures of internalizing symptoms, rumination, weekly SNS use, and problematic SNS use.

RESULTS

We found that higher internalizing symptoms were associated with more problematic SNS use via higher ruminative thinking. Specifically, problem-focused thoughts (a rumination subtype) uniquely accounted for 22.89% and 28.15% of the total effect of depressive and social anxiety symptoms on problematic SNS use, respectively. Other rumination subtypes (i.e., anticipatory thoughts and repetitive thinking) also demonstrated significant indirect effects, though weaker effects than for problem-focused thoughts. Findings were invariant across countries.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide support for further exploring the role rumination plays in determining and comparing problematic SNS use cross-culturally in longitudinal and experimental work.

The effect of mobile phone addiction on perceived stress and mediating role of ruminations: Evidence from Chinese and Czech university students

Introduction

The rise in the capabilities of mobile devices and the associated increase in the proportion of time we spend on them has not only positive benefits but also several risks, including mobile phone addiction and its consequences. The complex mechanisms of the impact of this addiction on mental health, especially in a cross-cultural context, however, remain relatively unknown. The aim of this cross-cultural study was to investigate the mediating role of rumination on the association between mobile phone addiction and perceived stress.

Methods

A population of 358 Chinese and 282 Czech university students was tested using a battery of validated psychological tests that included a short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Ruminative Response Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale.

Results

The results showed significant cross-cultural differences with Czech students manifesting greater rumination (d = 0.79) and perceived stress (d = 0.42) and Chinese students showing greater mobile phone addiction (d = 1.01). Mediation analyses showed that the effect of mobile phone addiction on stress levels was mediated through the rumination in both populations (45.6% and 80.9% of the explained variance for Chinese and Czech students, respectively) and did not differ between the two countries (estimate of difference [95%CI] = -0.052[-0.166, 0.037], p = 0.27). In contrast, the significant direct effect of mobile phone addiction on perceived stress was only present in Chinese students, where it was marginally larger than the indirect effect. In Czech students, the direct effect was not manifested and the difference between countries was significant (estimate of difference [95%CI] = 0.242 [0.035, 0.413], p < 0.001). In all of the cases, the association between the variables was positive, i.e., as one grew, so did the other. Finally, a moderated-mediation analysis confirmed that country of origin significantly moderated only the direct relationship between mobile phone dependence and perceived stress (p = 0.002).

Discussion

These results suggest that the mechanism of interaction between excessive mobile phone use and perceived stress is culturally conditioned, which may limit the transferability of research findings in a global context and requires further cross-cultural studies.

Problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses among university students and associated predictive factors: a systematic review

University students are a high-risk population with problematic online behaviours that include generalized problematic Internet/smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses (for example, social media or gaming). The study of their predictive factors is needed in order to develop preventative strategies. This systematic review aims to understand the current state of play by examining the terminology, assessment instruments, prevalence, and predictive factors associated with problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses in university students. A literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using four major databases. A total of 117 studies were included, divided into four groups according to the domain of problem behaviour: problematic smartphone use (n = 67), problematic social media use (n = 39), Internet gaming disorder (n = 9), and problematic online pornography use (n = 2). Variability was found in terminology, assessment tools, and prevalence rates in the four groups. Ten predictors of problematic smartphone use, five predictors of problematic social media use, and one predictor of problematic online gaming were identified. Negative affectivity is found to be a common predictor for all three groups, while social media use, psychological well-being, and Fear of Missing Out are common to problematic smartphone and social media use. Our findings reaffirm the need to reach consistent diagnostic criteria in cyber addictions and allow us to make progress in the investigation of their predictive factors, thus allowing formulation of preventive strategies.

The Relationship between Mobile Phone Anxiety and Sleep Quality Occupational Therapy in Adolescents and Its Internal Mechanism

With the development of the Internet era, the application of smartphones in life is quite useful, and the penetration rate of smartphones will be further increased in the future, making teenagers increasingly dependent on mobile phones. Teenagers are under great academic pressure, and excessive reliance on mobile phones will inevitably affect the formation of normal values. Teenagers, as a special group, deserve our attention. Mobile phone dependence has become a social problem. In this paper, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate the sleep quality of adolescents, and the factors affecting the sleep quality of adolescents were explored from three dimensions of behaviour, physiology, and emotion based on the sleep quality model. In this study, structural equation modelling was used to test the multiple mediating effects and analyze the relationship between mobile phone anxiety and sleep quality. Through the analysis of the internal mechanism of the two, the results show that the average score of adolescents' anxiety about mobile phone use is 32.87, and the standard deviation is 10.67. The difference between mobile phone anxiety and sleep quality was statistically significant (P < 0.001); good sleep quality can alleviate the prediction effect of mobile phone anxiety on anxiety and provide reference for promoting the physical and mental health development of adolescents.

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

Background

Smartphone addiction (SA) has become a social problem that affects peoples’ quality of life and is frequently reported to be correlated with alexithymia, avoidant or anxious attachment styles, and subjective well-being. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SA and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG DATA, and Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP). Stata 16.0 was used to analyze the overall effect and test the moderating effect.

Results

One hundred and ten studies were included, involving a total of 96,680 participants. SA had a significantly high positive correlation with alexithymia (r = 0.40), attachment anxiety (r = 0.37), and negative emotions (r = 0.31), and a low positive correlation with attachment avoidance (r = 0.17). In addition, there was a high negative correlation between SA and subjective well-being (r = –0.33) and a low negative correlation between SA, life satisfaction (r = –0.17), and positive emotions (r = –0.18). A moderation analysis revealed that age significantly moderated the relationship between SA and positive emotions. The tools for measuring SA significantly moderated the relationship between SA, alexithymia, attachment anxiety, and subjective well-being. Meanwhile, subjective well-being measurement tools significantly moderated the relationships between SA, subjective well-being, and negative emotions.

Conclusion

SA was closely related to alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being. In the future, longitudinal research can be conducted to better investigate the dynamic changes in the relationship between them.

Systematic review registration

[www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42022334798].

Relationship between insecure attachment and mobile phone addiction: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have explored the relationship between insecure attachment and mobile phone addiction from different theoretical perspectives; however, the results have been different. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between insecure attachment and mobile phone addiction.

METHODS

Studies published before November 2021 were identified through a systematic online search. A total of 22 studies, including 38 independent effect sizes were included from a systematic search of multiple databases, with a total sample size of 11,810 cases. Stata Version 16.0 was used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis based on random-effects model showed that mobile phone addiction was highly positively associated with attachment anxiety (r = 0.395, 95%CI [0.345, 0.442]) and weakly positively correlated with attachment avoidance (r = 0.194, 95%CI [0.137, 0.250]). The relationship between attachment anxiety and mobile phone addiction and that between attachment avoidance and mobile phone addiction were both moderated by mobile phone addiction measures but not moderated by gender and attachment measures.

CONCLUSION

There is a positive correlation between mobile phone addiction and insecure attachment. In the future, measures to prevent mobile phone addiction should focus on insecure attachment individuals and help them construct a healthy attachment relationship and secure attachment model.

Attachment style and mental health during the later stages of COVID‐19 pandemic: the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety

Background

An insecure attachment style is an important risk factor for psychological problems. The aim of this study was to use Bartholomew and Horowitz’s model (Bartholomew and Horowitz in J Pers Soc Psychol 61(2): 226, 2019) to test a sample of Italian individuals to determine the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms in the relationship between attachment styles and mental health issues in the context of the pandemic.

Method

A cross-sectional research study was conducted using a sample of 330 Italian participants (82.1% women; mean age = 34.3 years; SD = 13.16) who completed online self-reported measures of attachment styles (RQ), loneliness (RULS), COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms (C-19ASS) and mental health problems (GHQ-12). Serial mediation analyses were performed, and bootstrap tests were included.

Results

Our results supported the hypothesized model with respect to each attachment style (p < 0.001). In particular, insecure attachment styles predict mental health problems both directly and indirectly, through loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms. In addition, loneliness directly influences mental health problems and also mediates the relationship between insecure attachment styles and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms which, in turn, positively predict mental health problems.

Conclusions

Our findings reinforce the importance of attachment in people’s processes of adapting to experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. The study makes an important contribution to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to support people’s wellbeing in the context of the pandemic.

Impulsivity and Depressive Brooding in Internet Addiction: A Study With a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Lockdown

This contribution presents a study conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents (n = 411) in the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown. The study investigated the role and predictive weight of the impulsivity and depressive brooding variables on Internet addiction, using a hierarchical regression analysis. The participants were administered the Uso-Abuso e Dipendenza da Internet [Internet Use-Abuse and Addiction] (UADI-2), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). In terms of percentage distribution, 28% of the participants were in the full dependency range, while 34.7% demonstrated Internet abuse behavior. The results highlighted not only the predictive value of impulsiveness (β = 0.323) and ruminative thinking (β = 0.258), but also the role of gender (β = -0.205) on Internet addiction. Thus, male participants showed higher levels of Internet addiction, with higher scores on impulsiveness and brooding way of thinking. The study shows that the issue in question is significantly present among adolescents; in addition, not only targeted awareness programmes but also psycho-educational and clinical interventions to promote greater emotional and cognitive control would be necessary as a preventive and mitigating measure. Psychological interventions can help increase self-awareness, develop emotional regulation and impulse control, and correct maladaptive cognitions which in adolescents are mostly driven by a ruminative cognitive style.