Longitudinal associations among smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depressive symptoms in college students: Disentangling between- And within-person associations

The Impact of Problematic Internet Use on Adolescent Loneliness-Chain Mediation Effects of Social Support and Family Communication

Purpose

To explore the relationship between adolescents' problematic Internet use and loneliness and the mediating roles of social support and family communication.

Methods

A questionnaire survey of 2483 adolescents aged 12-17 years in 148 cities in China was conducted using the Problematic Internet Use Scale, the Collaborative Social Support Scale, the Family Communication Scale, and the Loneliness Scale. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 26.0 and validated by AMOS 28.0. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted to test the effects of problematic Internet use on adolescents' loneliness and the mediating effects of perceptions of social support and family communication.

Results

There was a significant positive effect of adolescents' problematic Internet use on loneliness (B-0.471, P<0.001), and the mediating effects of perceptual social support (0.003, 0.012) and family communication (0.008, 0.019) were found to play a chain effect between adolescents' problematic Internet use and loneliness, respectively. Use and feelings of loneliness played a chain mediating role (0.002, 0.006).

Conclusion

This study identified the effects of adolescent problematic Internet use on loneliness and its mechanism of action, emphasized the importance of social support and family communication, and provided practical insights for improving family parenting styles and preventing and intervening in adolescent loneliness problems.

Relationship between smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depression in adolescents: A correlational structural equation modeling study

PURPOSE

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depression in adolescents.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study was designed in a correlational-cross-sectional-descriptive model and was conducted with 1041 adolescents attending high schools in a provincial center in Eastern Turkey. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a personal information form, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version for Adolescents, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale.

RESULTS

The average scores for smartphone addiction were found to be higher among females, individuals with low academic success, and those with a high-income level. Similarly, the average scores for loneliness were higher among individuals residing in broken families and those with parents who have limited literacy. Additionally, the mean scores for depression were higher among individuals with low academic success and those with a high-income level. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of smartphone use and levels of smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depression.

CONCLUSION

Smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depression were found to be prevalent above the moderate level in adolescents. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between the depression and loneliness scores of adolescents.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Pediatric and school nurses should assess children's phone use. Nurses are well-positioned to establish a follow-up program aimed at monitoring adolescents' efforts in managing smartphone use, offering continuous support, and providing guidance when necessary. The implementation of such programs enables prompt intervention in addressing any arising issues.

The Impact of Problematic Smartphone Use on Sleep Quality Among Chinese Young Adults: Investigating Anxiety and Depression as Mediators in a Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

Background

Sleep disorders are a significant health issue that urgently needs to be addressed among undergraduate students, and one of the potential underlying problems could be problematic smartphone use (PSU). This study aimed to clarify the relationship between PSU and poor sleep quality by investigating the independent and serial mediating roles of anxiety and depressive symptoms in a population of university students in Tibet, China.

Methods

A total of 2993 Tibetan college students completed three waves of data surveys, with all participants completing questionnaires on PSU, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality (Time 1 (T1) -Time 3 (T3)). Bootstrapped mediation analysis was used to explore the mediating role of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the longitudinal relationship between PSU and sleep quality.

Results

Both direct and indirect effects of PSU on poor sleep quality were found. PSU (T1) can had not only a direct negative influence on poor sleep quality (T3) among young adults (direct effect = 0.021, 95% CI = 0.010-0.033) but also an indirect negative impact via three pathways: the independent mediating effect of anxiety symptoms (T2) (indirect effect 1 = 0.003, 95% CI = 0.001-0.006), the independent mediating effect of depressive symptoms (T2) (indirect effect 2 = 0.004, 95% CI = 0.002-0.006), and the serial mediating effects of anxiety (T2) and depressive symptoms (T2) (indirect effect 3 = 0.008, 95% CI=0.005-0.011).

Conclusion

These findings highlight the role of anxiety and depression symptoms as joint mediating factors in the relationship between PSU and sleep disturbances. Interventions focused on improving sleep that incorporate behavioural measures could benefit from treatment approaches targeting mental disorders.

The relationship between health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions in college freshmen: a cross-lagged analysis

Background

The prevalence of mental health issues has been gradually increasing among college students in recent years. Improvements in mental health can be achieved through changes in daily behavior and the use of psychological counseling. This study aims to investigate the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions among college freshmen as they enter the university. It also examines the impact of various sub-dimensions of health-promoting behaviors and other factors on the negative emotions (stress, anxiety, and depression) experienced by college freshmen.

Methods

Using the Negative Emotion and Health-Promoting Behavior scales, a 7-month longitudinal study was conducted on 4,252 college freshmen, with collection of data at two time points (T1: November 12, 2021; T2: June 17, 2022). Out of this longitudinal study, 3,632 valid samples were obtained. This research aimed to explore the association and impact between negative emotions and the level of health-promoting behaviors among college students during their time at the university.

Results

① There were significant differences in the levels of health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions over the course of 7 months (P < 0.05). Health-promoting behaviors were found to have a significant negative correlation with negative emotions (P < 0.05). ② Negative emotions at T1 significantly negatively predicted health-promoting behaviors at T2 (β = -0.11, P < 0.01), while health-promoting behaviors at T1 significantly negatively predicted negative emotions at T2 (β = -0.12, P < 0.001). ③ Stress management (β = -0.104, P < 0.05; β = -0.087, P < 0.05), self-actualization (β = -0.282, P < 0.01; β = -0.260, P < 0.05), health responsibility (β = -0.057, P < 0.05; β = -0.088, P < 0.05), and interpersonal relations (β = 0.068, P < 0.01; β = 0.138, P < 0.05) were important components in improving stress and anxiety. Self-actualization (β = -0.437, P < 0.001), exercise (β = 0.048, P < 0.001), nutrition (β = 0.044, P < 0.001), and interpersonal relations (β = 0.065, P < 0.001) were important components in improving depression. ④ Gender, place of household registration, and whether the individual is the only child were significant factors affecting negative emotions in college freshmen.

Conclusion

The level of health-promoting behaviors is an important indicator for assessing the negative emotional states of college freshmen. Enhancing health-promoting behaviors across various dimensions can help alleviate different types of negative emotions. Gender, place of household registration, and being the only child are significant factors that influence negative emotions.

Interpersonal sensitivity as a mediator linking interpersonal stressors and social anxiety: Longitudinal mediation analysis using parallel process latent growth curve modeling

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the mechanism between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety in college students. This study was to investigate the mediating effect of interpersonal sensitivity between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety.

METHODS

The data was taken from a large-scale health-related cohort among Chinese college students. This study used data from the first four waves, including 4191 participants. The latent growth curve mediation model was used to examine the potential mediating role of interpersonal sensitivity in the relationship between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety over time.

RESULTS

Both levels and changes in interpersonal stressors were positively associated with subsequent levels and changes in social anxiety. Mediation analysis showed that interpersonal sensitivity mediated the relationship between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety.

LIMITATION

All variables were collected based on self-report.

CONCLUSIONS

Interpersonal stressor is a significant risk factor for social anxiety, and this association appears to be mediated by interpersonal sensitivity. It is necessary to evaluate and intervene against interpersonal sensitivity related to interpersonal stressors for the prevention of social anxiety.

The Vicious Cycle between Loneliness and Problematic Smartphone Use among Adolescents: A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Despite extensive research on the psychological impacts of digital technology, the nuanced dynamics between adolescent loneliness and problematic smartphone use, particularly across different educational levels and genders, remain underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by employing a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model to dissect the bidirectional relationship between loneliness and problematic smartphone use among adolescents, with a focus on the moderating roles of educational levels and gender. Engaging 3132 students from various educational institutions in China, the research conducted a three-wave longitudinal analysis across 2022-2023. The final number of participants included 1120 adolescents (53.5% female; age in 2022: M = 14.57 years, SD = 1.57). Results reveal that loneliness significantly predicts problematic smartphone use, but not vice versa, highlighting a unidirectional influence. The study uncovers crucial differences across educational levels and gender, emphasizing the stronger effect of loneliness on problematic smartphone use among junior high students and female adolescents. These findings underscore the complexity of adolescent loneliness and its relationship with digital behavior, suggesting a need for tailored interventions considering both gender and developmental stages.

Bidirectional associations between loneliness and problematic internet use: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies

BACKGROUND

Loneliness and problematic Internet use (PIU) are both major public health concerns around the world. These two constructs have long been linked, but there is conflicting evidence regarding the temporal nature of the loneliness-PIU relationship.

METHOD

We searched 8 databases to identify studies examining longitudinal associations between loneliness and PIU published on or before August 2023. From the 316 articles identified, 26 studies were included with a total of 23,382 participants.

RESULTS

Moderate, positive, and significant prospective pathways were found from loneliness to PIU (r = 0.287, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.241, 0.331]), and from PIU to loneliness (r = 0.255, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.205, 0.303]). Moderator analyses suggested that the association of loneliness with PIU was stronger in samples from Eastern countries, with more males, more young adults, less time passed, and in more recent years. The association of PIU with loneliness was stronger in samples from Eastern countries, with more males, more young adults, and in more recent years.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analytic review provided the first estimation for the overall bidirectional longitudinal associations between loneliness and PIU. A deeper comprehension of the relations has implications for loneliness and PIU intervention programs, where interventions targeting both constructs might be fruitfully applied.

Within-person reciprocal links between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms across Latino/a adolescents' transition to and through college

Evidence suggests bidirectional relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood. Less research has disaggregated within- and between-person variance in these associations over time or within Latino/a college students. This study examined longitudinal, within-person reciprocal relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms among 181 Latino/a adolescents (M age = 18.10; SD = 0.41, 35% male) transitioning to college. Participants were assessed in their senior year of high school and annually until their fourth year of college. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to parse out within- and between-person sources of variance. Results indicated overall (between-person) relations among depressive symptoms and school/college stress and sleep problems. There were reciprocal within-person links between stress and sleep problems across the first two years of college. Within-person increases in depressive symptoms during the second year of college predicted more stress than usual in the third year, which predicted increased depressive symptoms in the fourth year. More sleep problems than usual in the third year of college predicted higher stress in the fourth year. Findings provide evidence for within-person cross-lagged relations among various domains of adjustment during college and may inform future prevention efforts for incoming Latino/a college students targeting mental health and sleep problems.

The positive and negative emotion functions related to loneliness: a systematic review of behavioural and neuroimaging studies

Loneliness is associated with high prevalences of major psychiatric illnesses such as major depression. However, the underlying emotional mechanisms of loneliness remained unclear. We hypothesized that loneliness originates from both decreases in positive emotional processing and increases in negative emotion processing. To test this, we conducted a systematic review of 29 previous studies (total participants n = 19 560, mean age = 37.16 years, female proportion = 59.7%), including 18 studies that included questionnaire measures of emotions only, and 11 studies that examined the brain correlates of emotions. The main findings were that loneliness was negatively correlated with general positive emotions and positively correlated with general negative emotions. Furthermore, limited evidence indicates loneliness exhibited negative and positive correlations with the brain positive (e.g. the striatum) and negative (e.g. insula) emotion systems, respectively, but the sign of correlation was not entirely consistent. Additionally, loneliness was associated with the structure and function of the brain emotion regulation systems, particularly the prefrontal cortex, but the direction of this relationship remained ambiguous. We concluded that the existing evidence supported a bivalence model of loneliness, but several critical gaps existed that could be addressed by future studies that include adolescent and middle-aged samples, use both questionnaire and task measures of emotions, distinguish between general emotion and social emotion as well as between positive and negative emotion regulation, and adopt a longitudinal design that allows us to ascertain the causal relationships between loneliness and emotion dysfunction. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying emotion mechanisms of loneliness that can inform interventions for lonely individuals.