Adolescents’ problematic internet and smartphone use is related to suicide ideation: Does emotional intelligence make a difference?

Scoping review on socioemotional skills in the prevention of suicidal behavior among adolescents

Promoting socioemotional skills has been highlighted among the evidence to prevent suicidal behavior in childhood and adolescence. This review aimed to map and analyze national and international scientific papers on initiatives and programs for the prevention of suicidal behavior in adolescence based on the theoretical framework of socioemotional skills. It is a scoping review using the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Eleven academic bibliographic databases were analyzed, and searches were conducted on institutional websites related to suicide prevention and Google. Papers in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English from 2010 to July 2022 were included in the review, which consisted of 97 studies, analyzed through data matrix and thematic grouping. The results show that most are international and focused on suicide, not on self-harm alone. In general, they have an informational and instructional bias for professionals, institutions, and governments, proposed laws, programs and action plans, studies on the role of socioemotional skills and intervention research. Few strategies have been clearly tested and validated. The key elements are the ability to perceive, recognize, understand, express, and regulate one's own emotions, get motivated, and build empathy in relationships. Schools are key players in this process and the health system should act as a collaborative network. National and local prevention plans are required, emphasizing the role of schools, the health sector, and intersectoral coordination to promote health and quality of life.

Frequency of suicidal ideation inventory: A reliability generalization meta-analysis

The objectives of this reliability generalization meta-analysis were to estimate the overall reliability of the Frequency of Suicidal Ideation Inventory (FSII), a short, easily administered test developed to assess suicidal ideation and to examine possible moderating variables. A systematic search was conducted in five databases from the year of publication (2016) of the FSII until March 2024. All studies that applied the FSII and reported a Cronbach's alpha coefficient were included. Analyses were performed using a random effects model applying Bonett's transformation. Our analysis of 32 studies (k = 39) yielded an overall alpha of .91 (95% CI = .90, .92). We found that the type of administration, population, and language of the FSII moderated its reliability, which is high overall and appropriate for use in both research and clinical settings.

Network analysis of social anxiety and problematic mobile phone use in Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal study

Social anxiety is a common comorbid factor of problematic mobile phone use, but the relationship between them from the inside structure has been underexplored. This two-wave longitudinal study aims to identify the central symptoms of problematic mobile phone use and social anxiety, respectively, as well as the bridge symptoms between the two disorders. Furthermore, this study examined the time and gender differences. A total of 3,294 Chinese adolescents were recruited during two waves (T1: January 2023; T2: August 2023), and completed the questionnaires of social anxiety and problematic mobile phone use. Through network analysis, the results showed that 1) the central symptom of problematic mobile phone use was "loss of control" both at T1 and T2, 2) the central symptom of social anxiety was "fear of negative evaluation" both at T1 and T2, and 3) the bridge symptom between social anxiety and problematic mobile phone use was "withdrawal" both at T1 and T2. Moreover, the network comparison test indicated that the nodes of social anxiety were more strongly associated with "craving", "loss of control", and "negative life consequences" of problematic mobile phone use at T2 than at T1. The nodes of social anxiety were more strongly associated with "negative life consequences" of problematic mobile phone use for boys than for girls, while the "fear of negative evaluation" was more strongly associated with "loss of control" for girls than for boys. These findings provide new scientific basis for interventions targeting adolescents who are susceptible to social anxiety and problematic mobile phone use.

Stress and suicide risk among adolescents: the role of problematic internet use, gaming disorder and emotional regulation

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have associated videogame playing and social media use with suicidal behaviors together with lower stress coping or poor emotion regulation strategies. Due to the inconclusive evidence regarding the factors associated with suicidal behavior, the present study aimed to overcome the limitations of previous research and explored the relationship between adolescent stress, problematic internet use (PIU), gaming disorder (GD), and emotional regulation (ER) in a cross-section design. It was hypothesized that stress would have a direct effect on suicide risk (SR) as well as being mediated by PIU, GD, and ER.

METHODS

The participants comprised 430 adolescents (58.4% male) aged between 16 and 19 years. They completed an online survey including the Mobile-Related Experiences Questionnaire, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, Meta-Mood Trait Repair Scale, and Spanish version of the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 34.2% of the adolescents (N = 147) were at risk for SR. Results also indicated that 30,7% had experienced suicidal ideation at some point in their life, 12.1% had at least one plan to die by suicide, and 5.1% had attempted suicide. Results of path analysis confirmed that stress appeared to be a risk factor for suicide, but that its effects were not mediated by PIU. However, ER and GD mediated the effect of stress on SR. The results suggest that stress is a main risk factor for suicide, especially among adolescents with poor emotional regulation or problematic gaming.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the prevalence of suicide among adolescents, the results of the present study suggest that suicide prevention programs should include emotional regulation strategies, stress coping, and videogaming management skills in the early stages of high school. Providing these protective resources to adolescents will help them face the stressful and changing situations typical of adolescence and will help them to attain greater well-being and satisfaction with life.

Social anxiety and suicidal ideation among middle-school students in China: a mediation model of internet addiction

Background

Suicide is a fatal public health issue for adolescents, and it is of great significance to explore the precursors of suicidal behaviors, especially suicidal ideation. However, the relationship between social anxiety and suicidal ideation and its mechanism are still unclear. The study aims to examine the association between social anxiety and suicidal ideation and the mediating effect through Internet addiction.

Methods

A total of 2,278 middle-school students aged 12 to 16 years were recruited through a multistage cluster sampling method in this cross-sectional study. Logistical regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted to examine the direct and indirect effects of social anxiety.

Results

During the past year, 262 (11.50%) participants reported suicidal ideation. Females had a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation than males (12.9% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.034), and urban adolescents reported a higher prevalence than their rural counterparts (13.4% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.006). In the total sample, social anxiety and Internet addiction were independently associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis, the association between social anxiety and suicidal ideation was significant only among rural females and urban males (p < 0.05). SEM demonstrated that social anxiety had direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation, and Internet addiction partially mediated the relationship, with a mediating ratio of 30.53%. The partial mediating effect was also significant only in rural females and urban males.

Conclusion

Adolescents may overuse the Internet to cope with social anxiety and further have suicidal ideation. Limiting Internet use and improving interpersonal skills in real life may be efficient for suicide prevention. In addition, targeted interventions should be tailored by different sexes across urban and rural regions.

Negative self-talk in runners: Emotional intelligence and perceived stress as explanatory factors

To optimize in the cognitive and emotional processes that appear in stressful situations in sports contexts is a relevant aspect to achieve a high level of performance. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between perceived stress, emotional intelligence and negative self-talk in runners. It also aimed to determine whether emotional intelligence factors could play a protective role in this relationship. The sample consisted of 1071 runners from a race held in the Basque Country (Spain). The age of the participants was between 18 and 75 years (Mean = 41.59; SD = 9.95; 71.4% men). Participants completed an online survey days after the race. The results showed that perceived stress would be related to greater use of negative self-talk. In addition, evaluation of others' emotions and emotional regulation would also explain the occurrence of negative self-talk. Likewise, the interaction between perceived stress and appraisal of one's own emotions would explain the occurrence of negative self-talk, this relationship being stronger among those with lower scores on appraisal of one's own emotions. Results and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Bidirectional relations between problematic smartphone use and bedtime procrastination among Chinese university students: Self-control as a mediator

OBJECTIVE

Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, this study examined the longitudinal relationship between problematic smartphone use and bedtime procrastination and the potential mediating role of self-control.

METHODS

Between November 2021 and November 2022, a three waves longitudinal design was employed. Wave 1 included 622 Chinese college students (46.95% male, Mage = 18.16, SD = 0.73), with 6-month intervals between waves. The data was collected using self-report assessments.

RESULTS

The results of the cross-lagged panel models show that problematic smartphone use positively predicted later bedtime procrastination, and the bedtime procrastination also positively predicted later problematic smartphone use among college students. More importantly, self-control played a mediating role in their bidirectional predictive relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings add to the understanding of the causal relationship between problematic smartphone use and bedtime procrastination and reveal the core psychological mechanisms underlying their vicious cycle, with important practical implications for the prevention and intervention of problematic smartphone use and sleep problems.

Self-control mediates the relationship between time perspective and mobile phone addiction in Chinese college students

Background

Mobile phone addiction (MPA) is a prevalent problem among college students, and Chinese college students are a high-risk group for smartphone addiction. MPA has a negative impact on the physical and mental health and academic performance of college students. Studies have explored the influence of many factors on MPA, such as the characteristics of the smartphone itself, the characteristics of the smartphone user, and the environment. However, to date, no studies have explored the protective and risk factors for MPA from the perspective of personality traits. From this perspective, this study explored the influence of time perspective and trait self-control on MPA to identify effective measures to prevent and intervene in MPA in college students.

Methods

The participants in this cross-sectional study were 526 Chinese college students. They completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Self-Control Scale and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale using an online questionnaire tool. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships among time perspective, self-control and MPA. A latent variable mediation analysis of the structural equation model was used to examine the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between time perspective and MPA.

Results

Various dimensions of time perspective were strongly associated with MPA. Among these dimensions, past negative (r = 0.397, p < 0.001), present hedonistic (r = 0.207, p < 0.001), and present fatalistic perspectives (r = 0.444, p < 0.001) were positively associated with MPA, while a future time perspective (r = -0.200, p < 0.001) was negatively associated with MPA. Mediation effects analysis showed that past negative (β = 0.034, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.020-0.051]), present hedonistic (β = 0.038, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.02-0.06]), present fatalistic (β = 0.047, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.031-0.065]) and future orientation perspectives (β = -0.093, p < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.123-0.069]) indirectly influenced MPA through the mediating effect of self-control.

Conclusion

This study confirmed that a future time perspective and self-control are protective factors for MPA and that past negative, present hedonistic and present fatalistic perspectives are risk factors for MPA. College educators can prevent MPA in college students directly by cultivating their self-control ability, as well as indirectly by increasing their use of future time perspective and reducing past negative, present fatalistic and present hedonistic perspectives.

Socio-demographic and mental health correlates of internet addiction amongst Hong Kong university students under COVID-19

Introduction

Regarding the problem of Internet addiction (IA) amongst university students under the pandemic, there are several research gaps. Firstly, few studies have examined IA of university students in Hong Kong, which is a Chinese society heavily influenced by Western values. In addition, findings on the socio-demographic correlates and psychological well-being predictors of IA in university students are unclear. Finally, researchers have not systematically examined the interaction effects of socio-demographic factors (particularly gender and personal infection of COVID-19) and psychological morbidity on IA. This pioneer study aimed to investigate the predictive role of socio-demographic factors and psychological morbidity in IA, and the moderating effects of gender and personal infection of COVID-19 on the relationship between psychological morbidity and IA.

Methods

We conducted an online survey (N = 1,020 university students) during the ending phase of Wave 5 of the pandemic in Hong Kong (late 2022 to early 2023). Socio-demographic correlates included age, gender, living status, personal and family financial situation, student status, personal and family infection of COVID-19. Participants responded to validated measures of psychological morbidity, including depression, suicidal behavior, and hopelessness. Hierarchical regression and simple slope analyses were used to examine the predictive role of socio-demographic variables and psychological morbidity in IA and the interactive effect of gender and personal infection of COVID-19 with psychological morbidity on IA.

Results

Personal financial difficulty was a significant socio-demographic predictor of IA. Depression, suicidal behavior, and hopelessness positively predicted IA. We also found a significant interaction effect of gender and psychological morbidity on IA. While the predictive relationship between depression and IA was stronger in males than in females, hopelessness was more strongly related to IA in females than in males. Finally, there was a significant interaction effect of personal infection of COVID-19 and suicidal behavior on IA.

Conclusion

Personal financial difficulty was a socio-economic correlate of IA. Psychological morbidity also predicted IA. Gender and personal infection of COVID-19 moderated the linkage between psychological morbidity and IA. The findings of the study enhance our understanding of individual differences in IA in university students during the pandemic, particularly concerning different ecological risk factors.

Internet use time and mental health among rural adolescents in China: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The digital divide between urban and rural adolescents is widening. Many existing studies have found an association between internet use and adolescent mental health, but few use longitudinal data to focus on rural adolescents. We aimed to identify the causal relationships between internet use time and mental health in Chinese rural adolescents.

METHODS

Using a sample of 3694 participants (aged 10-19) from the 2018-2020 China Family Panel Survey (CFPS). Fixed effects model, mediating effect model and instrumental variables method was used to evaluate the causal relationships between internet use time and mental health.

RESULTS

We find that more time spent on the internet has a significant negative effect on participants' mental health. This negative impact is stronger in female and senior students groups. Mediating effects analysis suggests that more time spent on the internet increase risk of mental health problems by reducing sleep duration and parent-adolescent communication. Further analysis find that online learning and online shopping is associated with higher depression scores, while online entertainment with lower depression scores.

LIMITATIONS

The data do not investigate the specific time spent on internet activities (e.g., learning, shopping, and entertainment), and the long-term impacts of internet use time and mental health have not been tested.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet use time has a significant negative impact on mental health by crowding out sleep duration and parent-adolescent communication. The results provide an empirical reference for the prevention and intervention of mental disorders in adolescents.

Association between mobile phone addiction, chronotype and nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents: A large-scale study in China

BACKGROUND

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health and clinical problem, particularly for adolescents, and may link to problematic smartphone use (PSU) and chronotype. This study examines the independent and interaction effects of PSU and chronotype on NSSI among adolescents and identified gender differences in these associations.

METHODS

A total of 21,357 students aged 11-19 were recruited using stratified cluster sampling across five representative provinces in China and completed standard questionnaires to record details of PSU, chronotype, and NSSI.

RESULTS

A total of 38.1 % of students reported having engaged in NSSI and 17.7 % had PSU. PSU and chronotype were significantly associated with NSSI among adolescents, and this relationship was stronger in females. Interaction analysis indicated that E-type and PSU were interactively associated with increased risks of NSSI.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that E-type and PSU can increase the risk of NSSI both independently and interactively. Therefore, they should be considered in intervention programs for NSSI, especially for females.

Association between alexithymia and non-suicidal self-injury in psychiatric patients: the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of emotional intelligence

BACKGROUND

Raffagnato's theory claims that if people have no words to express their emotions (alexithymia), they express themselves by venting or through non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, these associations have not been confirmed in psychiatric patients. This study explored the relationship between alexithymia and NSSI in psychiatric patients and the potential underlying psychological mechanisms.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved face-to-face interviews with 449 outpatients consecutively recruited from West China Hospital. Alexithymia, self-esteem, NSSI, and emotional intelligence (EI) were measured. The moderating role of EI and the mediating role of self-esteem between alexithymia and NSSI were also explored. Logistic regressions were used to examine whether sociodemographic, clinical variables and alexithymia were independently associated with NSSI.

RESULTS

The DSM-5 NSSI disorder and alexithymia prevalences were found to be 32.5% and 45.2%. When the other covariables were controlled for, the alexithymic patients were found to be at increased odds (OR 2.76) of engaging in NSSI behaviors. These results confirmed the strong associations between alexithymia, low self-esteem, and NSSI risk. Lower EI was found to be related to the connections between alexithymia and NSSI. Except for the lower risk in anxiety patients, the risk of NSSI was similar for patients with other mental disorders, CONCLUSION: This study revealed the psychological mechanisms through which alexithymia increases the risk of NSSI. Therefore, to reduce NSSI risk, screening for alexithymia should be emphasized. Self-esteem as a targeted psychological intervention could also assist in mitigating the process from alexithymia to NSSI behaviors, and EI training for psychiatric patients could weaken the relationship between alexithymia and NSSI.

Childhood trauma and problematic internet use: A meta-analysis based on students in mainland China

Background

In recent years, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use has been widely studied by scholars, but the research conclusions on the relationship between them are not consistent. Some studies report that childhood trauma and problematic Internet use are significantly correlated. However, others believe that there is a weak correlation between them. So the relationship between them needs to be studied further. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, and the effects of some moderating variables on both for students in Mainland China.

Methods

This study followed the requirements of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement for literature screening. We searched the related studies on childhood trauma and problematic Internet use in Mainland China from January 2009 to November 2022 from CNKI, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), Baidu scholar, ProQuest dissertations, SAGE Online Journals, Elsevier SDOL, Taylor &amp; Francis, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Medline, Scopus Database, PubMed Central, Embase, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CMA 3.0 was used to analyse the overall effect and test the moderating effect.

Results

Among the papers included in the meta-analysis in this study, 31 papers reflected the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, involving 52,503 subjects, and the sample size ranged from 388 to 16,130. This relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use can be considered as a moderate correlation (r = 0.281, 95%CI[0.221, 0.338], p &lt; 0.001). The results showed that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was affected by different problematic Internet use measures. Meanwhile, meta-regression demonstrated that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was moderated by survey’s year. Specifically, the correlation coefficient between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use also increases with increasing year. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was not affected by the region, grade, childhood trauma measures, publication source.

Conclusion

Childhood trauma is closely related to problematic Internet use. In order to reduce problematic Internet use, corresponding prevention and intervention measures should be taken.

A cross-lagged study of the associations among problematic smartphone use, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in chinese university students

The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships among problematic smartphone use (PSU), depressive symptoms (DS), and suicidal ideation (SI) in Chinese university students. Using a cross-lagged design, the Mobile Phone Addiction Inventory Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Self-Rating Idea of Suicide Scale as research instruments, 194 university students completed a questionnaire four consecutive times. June of Year 1, December of Year 2, June of Year 2, and December of Year 3 of their college study. We refer to these as the Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (T2), Time 3 (T3), and Time 4 (T4) assessments, respectively. The levels of PSU and DS fluctuated significantly over time. DS at T1 was significantly predicted to influence SI at T2 (β = 0.17, p < .05); DS at T3 was significantly predicted by PSU and by SI at T2 (respectively, β = 0.30, p < .05; β = 0.21, p < .05); DS at T2 significantly predicted PSU at T3 (β = 0.14, p < .05); and DS at T3 significantly predicted SI at T4 (β = 0.14, p < .05) in the cross-lagged pathway. DS at T3 fully mediated the relationship between PSU at T2 and SI at T4 (indirect effect: β = 0.133, 95% CI = [0.063, 0.213]). The results suggest that there is a reciprocal relationship between PSU and DS and, furthermore, that DS plays an important mediating role between PSU and SI. Our results suggest the importance of early identification and treatment of SI. Timely reduction of PSU and improvement of DS among university students may help prevent SI.

The Relationship of Internet Gaming Addiction and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Negative Emotion and the Moderating Role of Hope

Recently, internet gaming addiction and suicide have been global public health issues among adolescents. This study used convenience sampling and surveyed 1906 Chinese adolescents to investigate the relationship between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation and the role of negative emotion and hope in the relationship between the two. The results showed that the detection rate of internet gaming addiction among adolescents was 17.16% and the detection rate of suicidal ideation was 16.37%. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation. Negative emotion partially mediated the relationship between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation. In addition, hope moderated the relationship between negative emotion and suicidal ideation. The effect of negative emotion on suicidal ideation decreased as hope increased. These findings suggest that the role of emotion and hope in coping with adolescent internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation should be emphasized.

Observational prospective study of social media, smartphone use and self-harm in a clinical sample of young people: study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Young people are the most frequent users of social media and smartphones and there has been an increasing speculation about the potential negative impacts of their use on mental health. This has coincided with a sharp increase in the levels of self-harm in young people. To date, studies researching this potential association are predominantly cross-sectional and reliant on self-report data, which precludes the ability to objectively analyse behaviour over time. This study is one of the first attempts to explore temporal patterns of real-world usage prior to self-harm, to identify whether there are usage patterns associated with an increased risk.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

To study the mechanisms by which social media and smartphone use underpin self-harm in a clinical sample of young people, the Social media, Smartphone use and Self-harm in Young People (3S-YP) study uses a prospective, observational study design. Up to 600 young people aged 13-25 years old from secondary mental health services will be recruited and followed for up to 6 months. Primary analysis will compare real-world data in the 7 days leading up to a participant or clinician recorded self-harm episode, to categorise patterns of problematic usage. Secondary analyses will explore potential mediating effects of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, loneliness and bullying.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the National Research Ethics Service, London - Riverside, as well as by the Joint Research and Development Office of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), and the SLaM Clinical Research Interactive Search (CRIS) Oversight Committee. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific journals, conferences, websites, social media and stakeholder engagement activities.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04601220.

The more academic burnout students got, the more problematic mobile phone use they suffered? A meta-analysis of mainland Chinese adolescents and young adults

Introduction

In recent years, the relationship between academic burnout (AB) and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has become the hot issue of scholars, and a lot of related research has been carried out, but the results are different. Most studies showed that there was a significant positive correlation between AB and PMPU. However, some studies showed that the relationship between AB and PMPU was not significant. While this study aimed at exploring the relationship between AB and PMPU, as well as the influence of some moderating factors (region, age, gender, publication year, the measurement instrument) on them.

Methods

According to the searching process for studies of PRISMA, we searched the related studies on AB and PMPU in Mainland China from January 2012 to November 2022 from CNKI, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), Baidu scholar, ProQuest dissertations, Taylor & Francis, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO and PsyclNFO. Eventually, 50 studies were included in the meta-analysis, involving 38,488 subjects, with the sample size ranging from 193 to 2,260. CMA 3.0 was used to analyze the overall effect and test the moderating effect.

Results

The result shows that the relationship between AB and PMPU can be considered as a moderate correlation (r = 0.414, 95%CI [0.384, 0.443]), and moderator analysis shows that the relationship between AB and PMPU was moderated by the measurement instrument and publication year.

Discussion

Specifically, when the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale and the Smartphone Addiction Scale for College Students were used as PMPU measurement tools, the correlation coefficients between AB and PMPU were higher. When the publication year was used as a moderating variable, the relationship between AB and PMPU increased over the years. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022347277, identifier PROSPERO CRD42022347277.

Unpacking the relation between children's use of digital technologies and children's well-being: A scoping review

Over the last decade, a substantial number of studies have addressed children's use of technologies and their impact on well-being. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of clarity on the operationalisation of technology use, well-being, and the relation between the two. This scoping review intended to shed lights on Digital Technologies Use, its operationalisation, and the relation between Digital Technologies Negative Use (DTNU) and children's well-being. For the scope of the special issue we focused on negative use. Results showed two conceptualisations of DTNU: compulsive/addictive use of devices and the Internet (e.g., Internet addiction) and negative online experiences/risky behaviours (e.g., cyberbullying). Well-being in relation to DTNU was mainly studied in terms of psycho/social dimensions (e.g., depression), and a gap in cognitive well-being studies was identified. Study designs were largely quantitative, and, in most studies, well-being was considered as a predictor of DTNU. Also, research with children under 12 years was lacking. Future research on DTNU should look at: how dimensions of addiction and negative online experiences relate; provide more evidence on cognitive well-being; explore the interplay of well-being multiple components relying on integrative conceptual frameworks. The recent notion of digital well-being should also be explored considering the results of this review.

Effects of media use, smart phone addiction, and adult ADHD symptoms on wellbeing of college students during the COVID-19 lockdown: Dispositional hope as a protective factor

Introduction

The present study investigated the role of dispositional hope as a potential protective factor moderator in the relationship between adult ADHD symptoms, media use/smart phone addiction and wellbeing during the period of isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic among students in Romania.

Methods

A sample of 333 college students (86.8% female and 13.2% male) between the age of 18 and 47 with a mean of 20.6 years old from West University of Timişoara completed online surveys. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed to assess the associations among the variables.

Results

Results confirmed the negative associations of both adult ADHD and smartphone addiction with overall wellbeing. The smartphone addiction/ wellbeing association was moderated by dispositional hopefulness, such that high hopefulness served as a protective factor [b = -0.008, 95% percentile CI (-0.0134; -0.0012)].

Discussion

Implications for the educational environment are discussed.

Unpacking the Association between Family Functionality and Psychological Distress among Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Internet Addiction

Family functionality has been proven to be associated with adolescents' and children's mental health, but its indirect mechanisms among left-behind children have rarely been investigated in the Chinese context. This study aims to explore the direct effect of family functionality on psychological distress and the mediating roles of social support and Internet addiction among Chinese left-behind children. Based on multistage random sampling, 1355 students were recruited to participate in a school-based questionnaire survey in Jiangsu Province. Structural equation modeling using Amos 26.0 was used to test the direct and indirect paths of the variables. The results support our hypotheses, suggesting that family functionality has a direct effect on the psychological distress of left-behind children. Meanwhile, the association between family functionality and psychological distress is mediated by social support and Internet addiction, separately and sequentially. The findings suggest that effective social work interventions for psychological distress should be targeted toward social support and Internet addiction among left-behind children.

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.

Association between Smartphone Addiction and Suicide

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the associations between smartphone overdependence (smartphone addiction) and suicidal ideation and attempts among Korean adolescents to acknowledge the risk of smartphone overuse.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the results of the 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Smartphone addiction was categorized into three groups: adolescents who scored less than 23 were categorized as the general user group and formed the reference, those with scores of 23-30 were categorized as the potential-risk user group, and those with scores higher than 31 were categorized under the high-risk user group. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt were identified as dependent variables in the present study. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between SA and suicidal ideation and suicide attempt status among Korean adolescents.

RESULTS

This study included 41,173 general users of smartphones, 12,142 potential-risk users, and 1633 high-risk users from among 54,948 adolescents who were middle- and high-school students. Adolescents with potentially risky smartphone use showed a higher likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR: 1.50, CI: 1.42-1.60). Similarly, adolescents with high-risk smartphone use showed a significant risk of suicidal ideation (OR: 2.49, CI: 2.21-2.81) and suicide attempt (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.48-2.37) compared to the adolescents who were general users.

CONCLUSION

Our study results encourage parents and social workers to acknowledge that adolescents' smartphone addiction leads to a higher risk to their mental health, wherein they may engage in suicidal ideation and even resort to a suicide attempt.

Sex differences in association between Internet addiction and aggression among adolescents aged 12 to 18 in mainland of China

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have reported that Internet addiction (IA) is an important predictor of aggression. However, little is known whether aggression is a risk factor of IA. This study aims to explore whether IA can predict total and sub-types of aggression, whether aggression also can predict IA, and the potential sex difference.

METHOD

A total of 15,977 adolescents aged 12 to 18 were recruited though a stratified cluster sampling across five representative provinces in mainland of China. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Buss and Warren's Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ) were used to measure IA and aggression, respectively.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IA and total aggression was 16.8 % and 25.0 %, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that IAT score was significantly associated with total and five sub-types of aggression (P < 0.001). However, scores of physical aggression, hostility, and indirect aggression were positively associated with IA (P < 0.001), while verbal aggression and anger were not significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, the interaction of sex and IA was significant for aggression. Specifically, females with IA had higher risks of anger and indirect aggression but had lower risks of physical and verbal aggression compared to males with IA.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional design, self-reported information, and only Chinese rural adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

IA is a strong risk factor of total and five sub-types of aggression, while not all sub-types of aggression are predictors of IA. Prevention programs for adolescents' IA and aggression should consider different aggression sub-types and sex.

Convergent Validity Analysis between the Profile of Emotional Competences Full-Form and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Full-Form

Emotional dispositions have been found to influence outcomes and have applications in many areas, such as in the clinical, health, social, educational, and organizational domains. Specifically, they may influence individuals’ addictive behaviour tendencies. The aim of this study was to investigate the convergent validity between two questionnaires measuring individual differences linked to emotional dispositions, the Profile of Emotional Competences (PEC) full-form, and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) full-form. Examining the convergent validity will identify the similarities and the unique aspects of each questionnaire. Our hypotheses were based on relationships displaying large effect sizes (r > .50). A sample of 1026 participants took part in this study (Mage = 21.35 years old, age range = 18–30). Participants completed both the PEC and the TEIQue in a counterbalanced order. Results indicated large overlaps between the two questionnaires; however, two main differences emerged: first, the PEC allows capturing precisely the emotional dispositions at the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels, while the TEIQue mixes both levels; second, the competence “using emotions”, both for one’s own emotions and for others’ emotions, is not comprehensively reflected in the TEIQue. Overall, the PEC may help to capture more specifically the distinction between intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional competences. Future research should investigate comparatively the criterion validity of both questionnaires with specific outcome variables. Future research and applied work with addiction aiming at clarifying the implication of both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional competences may consider to rather use the PEC than the TEIQue.

Distinguishing Different Types of Mobile Phone Addiction: Development and Validation of the Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) in Adolescents and Young Adults

Researchers have developed various versions of scales to measure mobile phone addiction. Existing scales, however, focus primarily on the overall level of mobile phone addiction but do not distinguish the potential differences between different types of mobile phone addiction. There is a lack of established scales that can measure different types of mobile phone addiction. The present study aimed to uncover the specific types of mobile phone addiction and develop a Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) for adolescents and young adults. Adolescents and young adults from two high schools and two universities in Central and South China participated in our study. A total of 108 mobile phone addicts (M_age = 17.60 years, SD = 3.568 years; 60.185% males) were interviewed to uncover the specific types of mobile phone addiction. Data from 876 adolescents and young adults (M_age = 16.750 years, SD = 3.159 years; 49.087% males) were tested for item discrimination and exploratory factor analysis. Data from 854 adolescents and young adults (M_age = 16.750 years, SD = 3.098 years; 50.820% males) were analyzed for construct validity, convergent validity, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency reliability. The 26-item Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) was developed with four factors named mobile social networking addiction, mobile game addiction, mobile information acquisition addiction, and mobile short-form video addiction. The four-factor, 26-item MPATS revealed good construct validity, convergent validity, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency reliability. The new scale is suitable for measuring different types of mobile phone addiction in adolescents and young adults. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Psychological distress, rumination and problematic smartphone use among Spanish adolescents: An emotional intelligence-based conditional process analysis

BACKGROUND

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a public health issue that is currently rising among adolescents. The Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) poses that difficulties in handling negative life circumstances could result in PSU. Furthermore, the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model suggests that the interaction between core characteristics and affective and cognitive responses could lead to PSU. The present study aimed to clarify the links between psychological distress and PSU by exploring rumination as a mediator and emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator.

METHODS

A sample of 1882 adolescents (54% female, 46% male) completed measures of psychological distress, rumination, EI and PSU. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis.

RESULTS

The mediation results showed a significant indirect effect from psychological distress to PSU through rumination. Furthermore, EI was a significant moderator of this effect. Thus, in adolescents with higher EI, the effect of psychological distress on PSU through rumination was not significant.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional data do not imply causality and further studies should use longitudinal designs. Self-report questionnaires may be susceptible to social desirability bias and future studies including other sources of information may help to minimize such bias.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to the field of problematic digital technology usage, showing that the link between psychological distress and PSU depends on the EI levels, which might influence PSU indirectly through rumination. Furthermore, empirical evidence for the CIUT and I-PACE models was provided. Lastly, interventions aiming at training EI may aid in the prevention of PSU.

Mediation of Internet addiction on association between childhood maltreatment and suicidal behaviours among Chinese adolescents

Aims

The associations between suicidal behaviours and childhood maltreatment (CM), as well as Internet addiction (IA) have been extensively examined. However, few studies pay attention to different types of CM and all stages of suicidality, including suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP) and suicidal attempts (SA). Moreover, little is known regarding the mediation of IA on the relationship between CM and suicidal behaviours. The study aims to explore the direct effect of CM and IA on three stages of suicidal behaviours, and the indirect effect of CM on suicidality via IA.

Methods

A total of 16 130 high-school students aged 12–18 were recruited using a stratified cluster sampling strategy across five representative provinces in China. Relevant information was collected by a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression analysis and structural equation model were used to examine the associations.

Results

During the last year, 16.0% of participants reported suicidal behaviours. Specifically, 7.9% reported SI only, 4.6% reported SP but no SA, and 3.5% reported SA. The prevalence of neglect, physical abuse and IA in moderate to severe were 28.9, 19.9 and 33.1%, respectively. After controlling for demographic characteristics and confounding factors, such as loneliness, psychological resilience, and social support, moderate and severe neglect, physical abuse and IA were associated with an increased risk of SI, SP and SA (p < 0.01). The total effect of neglect and physical abuse on suicidal behaviours were 0.152 and 0.172, respectively (p < 0.001). The mediation proportion of IA on the association between neglect and suicidal behaviours, as well as physical abuse and suicidal behaviours were 22.4 and 18.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

CM and IA are independently associated with suicidal behaviours among Chinese adolescents. Moreover, IA plays a mediating role on the relationship between CM and suicidality. Targeted interventions for adolescents’ suicidal behaviours should focus on those who have experience of CM and IA.

The Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Problematic Internet Use and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Adolescents: Gender Differences

A large body of literature has identified the problematic Internet use as a risk factor for cyberbullying perpetration. Nevertheless, the studies on protective factors that may moderate this relationship are still scarce. The purpose of the present study was to examine if the emotional intelligence is a moderator in the relationship between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration. A total of 2039 Spanish adolescents between 12 to 18 years filled out three self-report questionnaires to evaluate these variables. Results indicated that cyberbullying perpetration was positively associated with problematic Internet use and negatively with emotional intelligence. On the other hand, problematic Internet use was negatively related to emotional intelligence, being this relationship stronger in girls. With respect to the possible buffering effect, emotional intelligence moderated the relation between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration in boys, especially at lower levels. These findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a personal resource which have an important protective role for the problematic Internet use in adolescents. Implications for the preventive interventions of cyberbullying perpetration are discussed.

Intrapersonal Emotional Intelligence during Adolescence: Sex Differences, Connection with other Variables, and Predictors

This study explores Intrapersonal Emotional Intelligence (IEI) with the objectives of: (1) analyzing possible differences due to sex and age, and the request for psychological assistance for behavioral and emotional problems; (2) finding evidence of personality traits, social behaviors, and parental socialization styles that are characteristic of adolescents with low IEI; and (3) identifying variables that predict high IEI. The sample comprised 2283 participants aged 12-17 years from the Basque Country (northern Spain). Results: (1) Females had greater emotional attention capacity but there were no sex differences in emotional comprehension and emotion regulation; (2) adolescents aged 12-14 showed higher scores in comprehension and emotion regulation than those aged 15-17; (3) adolescents who consulted a psychologist for problems (anxiety, depression, violence, etc.) had lower emotion regulation; (4) adolescents with low IEI had less empathy, self-esteem, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and responsibility, and lower use of cooperative and passive conflict-resolution strategies, and their parents had a low level of acceptance-affection towards their children. They also engaged in more bullying/cyberbullying and antisocial behaviors. (5) High IEI predictor variables were: using cooperative conflict-resolution strategies; traits such as extroversion, responsibility, openness, and empathy; and a high level of maternal acceptance-affection. The work identifies relevant variables for designing intervention programs and shows the importance of promoting IEI and interpersonal emotional intelligence as a factor in the development and prevention of bullying/cyberbullying.