Perceived stress and mobile phone addiction among college students during the 2019 coronavirus disease: The mediating roles of rumination and the moderating role of self-control

Effects of childhood trauma on the symptom-level relation between depression, anxiety, stress, and problematic smartphone use: A network analysis

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma experience is closely associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, few studies have explored the complex symptom-level relations between these variables among people with and without trauma experiences, leaving a gap in treating and alleviating these mental disorders among individuals with childhood trauma.

METHODS

The current study used a convenience sampling method and recruited 2708 participants who completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), dividing them into trauma (n = 1454, Mean age = 19.67) and no-trauma (n = 1254, Mean age = 19.57) groups according to the cut-off scores of CTQ-SF. Symptom network analysis and network comparison test were conducted to construct and compare the network models between trauma and no-trauma groups.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that the trauma group and females exhibit greater average levels of DASS-21 and PSU symptoms compared to the no-trauma group and males, respectively. Additionally, the edge between "Stress" and "Anxiety" is the strongest across trauma and no-trauma groups. "Social comfort" is a bridge symptom of the trauma group network and the results of bridge symptoms in the no-trauma group are not stable.

LIMITATIONS

This study did not categorize all individuals according to specific types of trauma experiences and it is a cross-sectional design. The prevalences calculated in this study may not be generalizable.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions targeting different bridge symptoms in the trauma and no-trauma network models may help reduce the severity of symptoms.

Parental phubbing and mobile phone addiction among Chinese adolescents: a moderated mediation model

It has been reported that parental phubbing is a significant predictor of mobile phone addiction (MPA) among adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain largely unclarified. On the basis of the social learning theories and ecological systems, this study assessed the mediating effect of deviant peer affiliation and the moderating effect of sensation seeking in the association between parental phubbing and MPA among Chinese adolescents. A total of 786 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.17 years, SD = 1.35) completed the questionnaires anonymously about parental phubbing, MPA, deviant peer affiliation and sensation seeking. After controlling for study variables, deviant peer affiliation could partially mediate the association between parental phubbing and MPA among adolescents and this indirect path could be moderated by sensation seeking. Notably, the effect of deviant peer affiliation on MPA was more pronounced in adolescents with higher sensation seeking than in those with lower sensation seeking.

The longitudinal mediating effect of rumination on the relationship between depressive symptoms and problematic smartphone use in Chinese university students: A three-wave cross-lagged panel analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although previous studies have considered rumination a possible mediator of the relationship between mental health and problematic smartphone use (PSU), few prospective studies have been conducted, limiting the ability to draw causal inferences. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the mediating role of rumination on the depression-PSU relationship using three-wave cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) with longitudinal data.

METHODS

A sample of 321 medical students from China Medical University completed three waves of online measures of depressive symptoms, rumination, and PSU. The three-wave CLPMs were constructed to examine the mediating role of rumination.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrated that depressive symptoms were bidirectionally related to rumination, and that rumination was bidirectionally related to PSU. The reciprocal CLPM suggested that depressive symptoms at Time 1 positively affected PSU at Time 3 via rumination at Time 2. The indirect effect was significant, with a path coefficient of 0.023 (95% CI: 0.004 to 0.042). Conversely, PSU at Time 1 positively affected depressive symptoms at Time 3 via rumination at Time 2, with a path coefficient of 0.015 (95% CI: 0.001 to 0.029).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This prospective study provided empirical evidence of the influence of depression on PSU and vice versa among Chinese university students. It also highlighted the importance of rumination in the depression-PSU relationship, revealing a bidirectional mediating role of rumination. Additional large-scale multi-wave longitudinal studies are needed to verify our results.

Peer victimization and Internet addiction among adolescents: The role of anger rumination and social dominance orientation

INTRODUCTION

Internet addiction has garnered growing attention in recent years, and peer victimization plays a major contributor to adolescents' Internet addiction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms in the association between peer victimization and Internet addiction. Guided by cognitive behavioral model and worldview verification model, this study examined a moderated mediation model in which anger rumination at Time 1 (T1) mediated the association between peer victimization at T1 and Internet addiction at Time 2 (T2), and this mediation effect was moderated by T1 social dominance orientation (SDO).

METHODS

A short-term longitudinal design was adopted, incorporating two measurement occasions (with approximately 6-month intervals). Participants were 2597 adolescents (51.5% male, Mage  = 13.9, SD = 0.60) from seven secondary schools in Zhengzhou City, China. All participants were invited to complete the self-reported questionnaires assessing peer victimization, anger rumination, SDO at T1 (December 2015) and Internet addiction at T2 (June 2016), respectively. A short-term longitudinal moderated mediation model was conducted to analyze the association between variables.

RESULTS

The results showed that T1 peer victimization was positively associated with T2 Internet addiction in which association was mediated by T1 anger rumination. T1 SDO moderated the associations between T1 peer victimization and T1 anger rumination and this effect was stronger with lower levels of SDO. In terms of gender differences, SDO moderated the associations between peer victimization and anger rumination only for boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight that anger rumination is a potential mechanism explaining how peer victimization is related to Internet addiction and that this relation may be moderated by SDO.

Trait rumination in post-stress growth among Chinese college students: the chain mediating effect of distress disclosure and perceived social support

Background

Rumination has emerged as a significant factor contributing to personal growth following periods of stress or trauma. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between trait rumination and post-stress growth (PSG) within the context of Chinese college students who encounter mild stressors in their daily lives. Moreover, we aim to evaluate the potential mediating roles played by both distress disclosure and perceived social support in this dynamic relationship.

Method

All participants completed assessments using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Rumination Response Scale, Post-Stress Growth Inventory, Distress Disclosure Index, and Perceived Social Support Scale. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS PROCESS 4 MACRO.

Results

All students reported experiencing mild psychological impacts as a result of negative life events in the past year and displayed moderate levels of PSG. There was no significant correlation observed between the effects of negative life events and PSG. Significant negative correlations were found between trait rumination and distress disclosure, perceived social support, and PSG. Distress disclosure and perceived social support jointly operated as sequential mediators in the relationship between trait rumination and PSG among all the participants. Qualitative analyses revealed different correlation patterns of high- versus low-ruminator.

Conclusion

Trait rumination affects PSG both directly and indirectly, through its influence on distress disclosure and perceived social support. Our results emphasize the significance of actively participating in distress disclosure and nurturing a robust sense of social support to counteract the detrimental effects of rumination on post-stress growth among Chinese college students.

Smartphone Addiction Among University Students' During the Post-COVID-19 Era: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Future Anxiety

OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related psychological symptoms can lead to smartphone addiction (SPA) risk and other behavioral disorders, thus impacting individuals' mental health and well-being. The present study aims to propose a mediation model to investigate the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and SPA, and the mediating role of future anxiety (FA) during the post-COVID-19 era.

METHODS

An online questionnaire including the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Dark Future Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale among university students from China, was conducted between September 14 and November 22, 2022. Finally, 1,154 valid questionnaires were collected. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all three scales had good reliability and validity.

RESULTS

Structural Equation Model demonstrated that EI significantly and negatively influenced SPA (β=0.211, p<0.001), university students' FA significantly and positively effected SPA (β=0.315, p<0.001), EI significantly predicted SPA in university students, and FA partially mediated the association between EI and SPA. The mediation effect of FA was 0.110, which accounted for 34.27% of the total effect. Bootstrap results furthermore tested the rigor of the mediating effect.

CONCLUSION

These findings broaden our understanding regarding the relationship between EI and SPA and the mediating role of FA, providing new sights for educators on how to reduce the risk of SPA when confronting the ongoing and possible future pandemics.

Does the Effect of Stress on Smartphone Addiction Vary Depending on the Gender and Type of Addiction?

Stress is closely associated with smartphone addiction. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies investigating the potential variation in the effect of stress on smartphone addiction based on the specific addiction type and gender. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among 596 high school students. The results revealed that the effect size of stress on smartphone addiction varied across different types of addiction. The strongest relationship was observed between stress and social media addiction, followed by the relationship between stress and information acquisition addiction. Furthermore, gender played a significant moderating role in stress and three types of smartphone addiction. Specifically, stress was strongly associated with information acquisition addiction overall, with no significant gender differences observed. In contrast, stress exhibited a strong correlation with social media addiction, which was significantly more prevalent among females. On the other hand, game addiction and short-form video addiction were both strongly associated with stress, but showed significantly higher prevalence among males. This study enhances current research by offering supplementary insights into the correlation between stress and smartphone addiction, as well as exploring the potential implications of intervening in smartphone addiction.

Perceived Social Support, Depressive Symptoms, Self-Compassion, and Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between perceived social support and mobile phone addiction, as well as the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of self-compassion.

METHODS

A total of 874 college students completed questionnaires, including the perceived social support scale, depression-anxiety-stress scale, mobile phone addiction index, and the short form of the self-compassion scale. The participants included 202 males and 672 females, with an average age of 19.54 (SD = 2.16).

RESULTS

A moderated mediation analysis was conducted. The results revealed that perceived social support fully mediated the negative relationship between perceived social support and mobile phone addiction. Self-compassion attenuated the mediating effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study indicated that insufficient perceived social support may increase the risk of mobile phone addiction among college students because of the impact of depressive symptoms. However, self-compassion could buffer this adverse effect.

What complex factors influence sleep quality in college students? PLS-SEM vs. fsQCA

Introduction

Sleep quality has a significant impact on the health-related quality of life, particularly among college students. This study proposes a framework for identifying factors that influence college students' sleep quality, including stress, self-control, bedtime habits, and neighborhood environment.

Methods

The study employed a cross-sectional analytical approach on a convenience sample of 255 medical students from a private university in China during the 2021/2022 academic year, of which 80.39% (205) were women. Two complementary methodologies, partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and fuzzy sets qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), were utilized in the study.

Results

The results of the PLS-SEM analysis suggest that Stress and Self-control act as mediating variables in the model, with Bedtime habits and Neighborhood environment influencing sleep quality through these variables. Additionally, the fsQCA analysis reveals that Bedtime habits and Neighborhood environment can combine with Stress and Self-control, respectively, to influence sleep quality.

Discussion

These findings provide insight into how multiple factors, such as Stress, Self-control, Bedtime habits, and Neighborhood environment, can impact college students' sleep quality, and can be used to develop intervention programs aimed at improving it. Moreover, the use of both methodologies enables the expansion of new methodological approaches that can be applied to different contexts.

Impact of Learning Burnout on Mobile Phone Dependence Among Adolescents in Western China Under the "Double Reduction" Policy: The Mediating Role of Social Support

Purpose

This paper investigated the prevalence of mobile phone dependence (MPD) and its associated with learning burnout under the "double reduction" policy among adolescents in Guizhou Province in western China. In addition, the influence of the mediating mechanism of social support on this relationship was investigated.

Methods

The sample was collected from 16,216 adolescents in West China's Guizhou province, from December 2021 to January 2022 via multistage stratified random sampling. The Self-rating Questionnaire for Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use (SQAPMPU) was used to assess the MPD, the Adolescent Student Burnout Scale (ASBI) was used to assess the learning burnout, and the Social Support Scale (SSS) was used to assess the social support. A hierarchical linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship between MPD, learning burnout, and social support. The mediating effect of social support between MPD and learning burnout was analyzed by structural equation model.

Results

Prevalence of MPD was 26.4% among adolescents in Guizhou province in western China. After adjusting for confounding variables like demographics, multiple linear regression model has revealed that learning burnout positively predicted MPD and social support negatively predicted MPD. The structural equation model showed that 10.9% of the effect was explained by the mediating effect of social support.

Conclusion

These findings could inform service delivery and policy formulation to reduce learning and avoid MPD in adolescents.

Stress and Internet Addiction: Mediated by Anxiety and Moderated by Self-Control

Background

The link between stress and Internet addiction (IA) has been confirmed. However, the mechanism underlying the correlation is poorly understood. Thus, the current study proposed a moderated mediation model to test the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of self-control (SC) in the link between stress and IA.

Methods

Eight hundred and sixty-one Chinese college students (M_age = 20.62 years; SD = 1.58; male = 47.7%) were required to complete an online questionnaire package, including a depression-anxiety-stress scale, a self-control scale, and an Internet addiction test. The PROCESS macro developed based on SPSS was used to test the moderated mediation model.

Results

When controlling for gender and age, the results revealed that anxiety partially mediated the link between stress and IA. Specifically, the more stressed college students are, the higher their anxiety level is, and the more likely they are to become addicted to the Internet. Additionally, the direct and indirect links between stress and IA were all moderated by SC. SC buffered the effect of stress on anxiety and anxiety on IA but enhanced stress on IA.

Conclusion

These findings emphasized the predictor role of stress on IA and provided insights on intervening in college students' excessive Internet use behaviors for educators, such as reducing anxiety levels and improving self-control abilities.

Social media sites users' choice between utilitarian and informational reinforcers assessed using temporal discounting

Objective

This study provides a first approach to the use of the Multiple-Choice Procedure in social media networks use, as well as empirical evidence for the application of the Behavioral Perspective Model to digital consumption behavior in young users in conjunction with a methodology based on behavioral economics.

Participants/methods

The participants were part of a large university in Bogotá, Colombia, and they received an academic credit once they completed the online questionnaire. A total of 311 participants completed the experiment. Of the participants, 49% were men with a mean age of 20.6 years (SD = 3.10, Range = 15-30); 51% were women with a mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 2.84, Range = 15-29).

Results

Among the total participants, 40% reported that they used social networks between 1 and 2 h a day, 38% between 2 and 3 h, 16% for 4 h or more, and the remaining 9% used them for 1 h or less per day. The factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) allowed us to identify a statistically significant effect of the delay of the alternative reinforcer, that is, the average crossover points were higher when the monetary reinforcer was delayed 1 week, compared to the immediate delivery of the monetary reinforcer. There was no statistically significant effect of the interaction between the magnitude of the reinforcer and the delay time of the alternative reinforcer.

Conclusions

This study supports the relative reinforcing value of an informational reinforcement consequence such as social media use, which is sensitive to both the magnitude of reinforcement and the delay in delivery as individual factors. The findings on reinforcer magnitude and delay effects are consistent with previous research that have applied behavioral economics to the study of non-substance-related addictions.

The Effect of Social Appearance Anxiety on the Online Impulse Purchases of Fashionable Outfits Among Female College Students During Pandemic Periods: The Mediating Role of Self-Control and the Moderating Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Purpose

With the rise of social media, an increasing number of young females have focused more attention on their body image, leading to social appearance anxiety. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate a moderated mediation model of social appearance anxiety and online impulse purchases of fashionable outfits through self-control moderated by subjective socioeconomic status during the pandemic.

Methods

A total of 1651 female college students (Age = 17-24, M_age = 19.30, SD = 1.14) with more than one month of closed-off management experience completed self-report questionnaires concerning social appearance anxiety, self-control, online impulse purchases of fashionable outfits, and subjective socioeconomic status.

Results

After controlling for the potential influence of coronavirus stress, the results indicated that social appearance anxiety was positively related to online impulse purchases of fashionable outfits among female college students during the pandemic, mediated by self-control. Furthermore, subjective socioeconomic status moderated the indirect link between social appearance anxiety and the online impulse purchase of fashionable outfits. Specifically, subjective socioeconomic status buffers the negative effect of social appearance anxiety on self-control and the risk effect of low self-control on the online impulse purchases of fashionable outfits.

Implications

The current study deepens the research on the relationship between social appearance anxiety and online impulse purchases during pandemic periods; meanwhile, it provides evidence for preventing excessive online impulse purchases of fashionable outfits among young females.

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.

Indulging in Smartphones in Times of Stress: A Moderated Mediation Model of Experiential Avoidance and Trait Mindfulness

Although previous studies have shown that perceived stress is positively related to problematic smartphone use, knowledge of mediating and moderating mechanisms underpinning this relationship is quite limited. In this study, we explored whether experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use and whether trait mindfulness moderated this mediating process. A total of 763 Chinese college students completed the measures of perceived stress, experiential avoidance, problematic smartphone use, and trait mindfulness. The results indicate that perceived stress was positively related to problematic smartphone use and this relation was partially mediated by experiential avoidance. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis showed that trait mindfulness moderated the linkage between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use via experiential avoidance. This link became weaker for college students with higher levels of trait mindfulness. The results highlight the value of identifying the underlying mechanisms between perceived stress and college students' problematic smartphone use.

Effects of Physical Exercise on Mobile Phone Addiction in College Students: The Chain Mediation Effect of Psychological Resilience and Perceived Stress

Smartphones have become an integral part of people's daily lives. While bringing convenience, mobile phone addiction caused by overuse of smart phones has become a common phenomenon among college students. The current study aimed to examine the serial mediating role of psychological resilience and perceived stress between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction of college students. Using the PARS-3 scale, CD-RISC-10 scale, PSS-10 scale, and MPA scale, 257 college students were investigated and Structural Equation Model (SEM) was conducted. The results show that: (1) Physical exercise has no significant direct impact on mobile phone addiction. (2) Psychological resilience has a significant mediating effect between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction. But perceived stress does not. (3) Psychological resilience and perceived stress play a chain mediation role. Physical exercise can enhance psychological resilience firstly, thus relieving perceived stress and eventually mitigating mobile phone addiction.

The impact of smartphone use on learning effectiveness: A case study of primary school students

This study investigated the effects of smartphone use on the perceived academic performance of elementary school students. Following the derivation of four hypotheses from the literature, descriptive analysis, t testing, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and one-way multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) were performed to characterize the relationship between smartphone behavior and academic performance with regard to learning effectiveness. All coefficients were positive and significant, supporting all four hypotheses. We also used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance. The MANOVA results revealed that the students in the high smartphone use group academically outperformed those in the low smartphone use group. The results indicate that smartphone use constitutes a potential inequality in learning opportunities among elementary school students. Finally, in a discussion of whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance, it is proved that smartphone behavior is the mediating variable impacting academic performance. Fewer smartphone access opportunities may adversely affect learning effectiveness and academic performance. Elementary school teachers must be aware of this issue, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The findings serve as a reference for policymakers and educators on how smartphone use in learning activities affects academic performance.

Effects of exercise and psychological interventions on smartphone addiction among university students: A systematic review

Background and aims

Among the large number of studies on smartphone addiction, only a few randomized controlled trials on exercise and psychological interventions for smartphone addiction by university students have been published. This study aims to systematically investigate the impact of exercise and psychological interventions on smartphone addiction among university students.

Methods

The PRISMA guidelines were adopted for this systematic literature review. Prominent academic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and PsycINFO were searched to find eligible studies published before Aug 2021. The overall quality of the articles was checked using the "QualSyst" tool by Kmet et al.

Results

From among 600 papers, 23 met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into our systematic review. All of the studies were randomized controlled trials. The following thematic areas emerged as a result of the content analysis: study selection and design, as well as study characteristics (participants, intervention, comparisons, and outcomes).

Discussion and conclusion

The literature on exercise and psychological interventions for smartphone addiction is scarce. There is a need to introduce new interventions and to validate the effectiveness of combined interventions. Our findings suggest that exercise and psychological interventions may help to reduce smartphone addiction. This combination was more effective compare to exercise or psychological intervention on mental health and addiction among university students. Future research should combine exercise and psychological interventions, focusing on university students, especially females, who are vulnerable to smartphone addiction. Further studies should focus on the cross-section of neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and sports science to provide combined interventions in physiological and psychological direction.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD42021278037.

The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, suspensions of activities and long periods of self-isolation led to a sharp increase in excessive use of mobile phones, which sparked public concern about mobile phone addiction (MPA). In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to physical exercise as a protective effect of MPA. However, more studies are needed to reveal this relationship and the exact mechanisms, based on which this study tested the mediating and moderating roles of self-control, rumination, psychological distress, and loneliness between physical exercise and MPA.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, primary data was collected by questionnaire from 1,843 college students (19.75 ± 1.3) from five universities in Sichuan Province in Mainland China. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), Self-Control Scale (SCS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-20) were investigated. The mediating models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.3 software, in which the mediation variables were self-control, rumination, and psychological distress, and the moderation was loneliness. Gender, major, and grade were included as control variables.

Result

Self-control, rumination, and psychological distress played a simple mediating role between physical exercise and MPA. Moreover, not only self-control and rumination but also self-control and psychological distress played the chain mediating roles between physical exercise and MPA. The chain pathways were moderated by loneliness. Specifically, the effect was more substantial among college students with higher loneliness.

Conclusion

The conclusions corroborate and clarify that self-control, rumination, and psychological distress mediated the association between physical exercise and MPA, and the mediation effects were moderated via loneliness. This present study advanced our understanding of how and when college students’ physical exercise was related to MPA. It also illustrates that educators and parents should pay more attention to college students’ physical exercise.

The relationship between COVID-19-related restrictions and fear of missing out, problematic smartphone use, and mental health in college students: The moderated moderation effect of resilience and social support

As one of the groups most affected by the epidemic, the mental health of college students during the epidemic is a focus of attention in multiple fields. Based on resource conservation theory, this study investigates the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on college students' problematic smartphone use and mental health from two perspectives, students' individual factors and external environmental factors, and specifically explores the role of fear of missing out (FoMO), resilience and social support in this context. This study used a questionnaire method, and to control for common method bias, a multitemporal data collection strategy was used. The study used online questionnaire distribution, the final sample included 975 Chinese college students (497 males and 478 females), and of these, 10.3% were freshmen, 31.9% were sophomores, 31.6% were juniors, 12.3% were seniors, and 13.9% were postgraduates. The results of this study showed the following: (1) Perceived COVID-19-related strain was positively correlated with perceived FoMO, problematic smartphone use and mental health problems (depression, anxiety, stress) among college students. (2) FoMO partially mediated the relationship between perceived COVID-19-related restrictions and problematic smartphone use, and it fully mediated the relationship between perceived COVID-19-related restrictions and mental health problems. (3) Resilience and social support co-moderated the relationship between FoMO and problematic smartphone use or mental health problems (depression, anxiety, stress).

The influence of family incivility on cyberbullying perpetration: A moderated mediation model

Previous research has extended the stress literature by exploring the relationship between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration, yet relatively less attention has been paid to underlying psychological mechanisms between that relationship among university students. According to the Frustration-Aggression Theory, this study examined the relationships of family incivility, cyberbullying perpetration, negative emotions and neuroticism among Chinese university students. Data were collected from 814 university students (females, N = 423; Mage = 19.96 years, SD = 3.09). The results examined the mechanism through which family incivility was significantly related to cyberbullying perpetration through the mediation of negative emotions, suggesting a strong link of stressful life events to online aggression. In addition, high levels of neuroticism moderated the relationship between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration, as well as that between family incivility and negative emotions. The study revealed the chronic and potential impact of family incivility, underlined the interaction between stressful life events and online aggression, and put forward the intervention strategies of cyberbullying among university students.

Smartphone addiction risk, technology-related behaviors and attitudes, and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic-related perceived risk of infection, illness fears, acute stress, emotional anxiety, exhaustion, and fatigue, psychological trauma and depressive symptoms, and sustained psychological distress can cause smartphone addiction risk and lead to technology-related cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disorders, thus impacting psychological well-being. Behavioral addiction of smartphone users can result in anxiety symptom severity, psychiatric symptoms, and depressive stress. We carried out a quantitative literature review of the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest throughout June 2022, with search terms including “smartphone addiction + COVID-19” + “stress,” “anxiety,” “depression,” “psychological distress,” “screen time,” and “fear.” As we analyzed only articles published between 2020 and 2022, 288 papers met the eligibility criteria. By excluding sources with similar titles, having unclear findings or unsupported by replication, or displaying inconsistent content, we selected 64, mainly empirical, sources. We used layout algorithms (VOSviewer) and bibliometric mapping (Dimensions) as data visualization tools. Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), a systematic review and literature review software (Distiller SR), Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and Systematic Review Data Repository (SRDR) were employed as methodological quality assessment tools. As limitations, we analyzed only articles published between 2020 and 2022 in scholarly outlets indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. The scope of our study also does not advance the inspection of sources covering vulnerable individuals suffering from certain diseases or specific generations. Subsequent analyses should develop on smartphone use and addiction among children and adolescents. Future research should thus investigate problematic smartphone use and addiction across generations Z and Alpha. Attention should be directed to their personality traits and psychopathological symptoms.

Internet Addiction, Phubbing, Psychological Variables and Self-Perception of Mathematical Competence in College Students

Internet Addiction (IA) and phubbing are prevalent, disruptive behaviours among university students. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between IA and Phubbing with psychological variables (impulsiveness, self-esteem, and psychological distress), academic performance and self-perception of mathematical competence (SMC), as well as possible gender differences. Results showed (n = 715; Mean Age = 21.7) gender differences in lack of planning, emotional investment and somatisation and IA correlated positively with app addiction, mobile addiction, and psychopathology. A total of 26.3% of IA can be explained by a lack of self-control, time and performance management, mobile phone addiction, anxiety and psychological distress. Finally, 71% of students believe that the use of new technologies has worsened their SMC and this is correlated with impaired communication, obsession with mobile phones, IA (Total Phubbing Scale) and impulsiveness. Our results indicate the importance of taking into account psychological variables that affect the development of IA, phubbing, and SMC in the university population.

College Students’ Opinions About Coping Strategies for Mental Health Problems, Suicide Ideation, and Self-Harm During COVID-19

Background

Mental health problems have emerged as a significant health complication in United States colleges during COVID-19, and as a result, they have been extensively investigated in the United States and internationally. In contrast, research on coping among the college population during the pandemic is scant. Hence, this study investigated coping strategies proposed by undergraduate students attending a Midwestern university.

Objectives

The purpose of this preliminary study was to obtain college students’ feedback/opinions about coping strategies for mental health problems, suicide ideation, and self-harm during COVID-19.

Methods

In December 2021, one-hundred and four undergraduate students (ages 18–22 years) completed an online survey on coping strategies using Qualtrics. Major topics included: (1) Types of coping strategies/styles expressed by students for general mental health problems, (2) Types of coping strategies for suicide ideation and self-harm behaviors, (3) Preferred platforms for receiving coping therapy, and (4) Reasons for accepting or refusing parent involvement with mental health problems.

Results

The most beneficial coping strategies for mental health were ranked by college students as follows: (1) a skills training development program (30%), (2) meditation (19%), and (3) mindfulness exercises (15%), and physical education (11%). The respondents’ best coping strategies for preventing self-harm and suicide ideation/behaviors during COVID-19 were ranked as: (1) improving support from friends (32%), (2) building self-esteem (29%), and (3) addressing anger, depression, stress, and loneliness (25%). Finally, a total of 50% of participants felt that parents should be involved in college student interventions. Students stated that the most important type of support that they received from their parents were: (1) emotional support (31%), (2) direction and/or assistance with solutions (27%), and problem-solving (16%).

Conclusion

This study identified potential avenues which could be implemented into action during future outbreaks. Specifically, employing interventions that: (i) train undergraduate students to employ more effective skills training coping strategies or practicing mindfulness or meditation; (ii) integrate mental health, suicide, and self-harm prevention into the curriculum; (iii) offer more in-person campus services targeted toward the psychological and emotional effects of a pandemic, and (iv) involve support persons (e.g., family) in students’ lives to enhance their well-being during and after COVID-19.

COVID-19 Victimization Experience and College Students’ Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Future Anxiety and Mindfulness

This study proposed a moderated mediation model to investigate the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction, the mediating role of future anxiety, and the moderating role of mindfulness. This study employed the COVID-19 victimization experience scale, the mobile phone addiction scale, a future anxiety scale, and a mindfulness scale in a survey study among Chinese college students; 840 valid questionnaires were received. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all four scales had good reliability and validity. Bootstrap results demonstrated that COVID-19 victimization experience significantly predicted mobile phone addiction in college students (B = 0.202, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.268). Future anxiety fully mediated the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction (B = 0.178, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.222). Mindfulness moderated the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students’ future anxiety (B = 0.159, LLCI = 0.007, ULCI = 0.054). A higher level of mindfulness was more likely than a lower level of mindfulness to attenuate the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students’ future anxiety. These findings broaden our understanding regarding the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction and the moderating role of mindfulness.

The Relation Between College Students' Social Anxiety and Mobile Phone Addiction: The Mediating Role of Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy and Subjective Well-Being

The present study explores the underlying mechanism of the relationship between college students' social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Adopting college students' social anxiety scale, regulatory emotional self-efficacy scale, subjective well-being scale and mobile phone addiction scale, this research tested valid samples of 680 Chinese college students. The results indicated that social anxiety exerted a significant and positive impact on mobile phone addiction. Regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a partial mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Subjective well-being also played a partial mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Moreover, both regulatory emotional self-efficacy and subjective well-being were found to play a chain mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. The study provides valuable insights into the impact of college students' social anxiety on mobile phone addiction.

The association between intolerance of uncertainty and Internet addiction during the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A multiple mediation model considering depression and risk perception

Repeated outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have forced people to shift most of their work and life activities from offline to online, leading to a growing problem of Internet dependence and even Internet addiction. However, the mechanism of the association between COVID‐19‐related intolerance of uncertainty (COVID‐19 IU) and Internet addiction during the second wave of COVID‐19 is still unclear. The current study explored the association between COVID‐19 IU and Internet addiction as mediated by depression and risk perception based on the Uncertainty‐Depression‐Perception‐Addiction model (UDPA). A total of 1,137 adult participants were recruited, and COVID‐19 IU, depression, risk perception, Internet addiction, and demographic variables were analyzed. The results showed that COVID‐19 IU was significantly and positively associated with Internet addiction and that this relationship was mediated in parallel by depression and risk perception. Our findings further extend the Interaction of Person‐Affect‐Cognition‐Execution (I‐PACE) model from the perspective of applicability in the unique context of COVID‐19. Furthermore, the study suggests that individuals could decrease their dependence on the Internet to prevent Internet addiction during the second wave of the pandemic through effective interventions that include lowering COVID‐19 IU, improving emotion regulation, and developing reasonable perceptions of risk.

Emotional State of Mexican University Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Since the WHO declared the COVID-19 crisis a pandemic in March 2020, the young population is suffering from a range of psychological symptoms. The present study measured symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in university students of Saltillo, Mexico, using the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Methods. The DASS-21 scale and an ad hoc questionnaire were used to collect sociodemographic information. Results: The results show that the students who participated in this study suffer from high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. In terms of sociodemographic variables, women, people suffering from a chronic disease and people living with a chronic disease had the highest levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and people who live with a chronically ill person, people who have had the COVID-19 disease and those who have had someone close to them fall sick have had more stress, anxiety and depression than the rest. Another finding of the present study is that university students who believe that others comply with COVID-19 safety measures have significantly lower anxiety and depression than those who believe that others do not comply. Conclusions: It is concluded that university students are a psychologically vulnerable group in the face of the pandemic.

Perceived stress and mobile phone addiction among college students: The roles of self-control and security

OBJECTIVE

According to the General Strain Theory, stress can lead to a range of problem behaviors. In the current study, we focused on the association between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction. We hypothesized that this association is mediated by low self-control and that the first path of the mediation is moderated by security.

METHODS

College students (N = 397; ages 16-21; 51.89% females) from a university in Hunan Province, China, were surveyed by cluster sampling method. The students completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Security Questionnaire (SQ) during regular class time. SPSS26.0 statistical software was used for descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses, the SPSS macro PROCESS was used to test the mediating effects of self-control and the moderating role of security.

RESULTS

Mediation analysis showed that as expected, perceived stress was associated with lower self-control, which in turn was associated with a higher risk for mobile phone addiction. Also as expected, moderated mediation analysis indicated that the association between perceived stress and self-control was moderated by security. Specifically, the relationship between perceived stress and self-control was stronger for low security.

CONCLUSION

This study provides useful insight into the understanding of how perceived stress increases the risk of mobile phone addiction. The results are consistent with the General Strain Theory and further indicate that concrete approaches are required for the prevention and intervention to reduce mobile phone addiction among college students.