Mobile phone addiction and psychological distress among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of rumination and moderating role of the capacity to be alone

Highlights • Mobile phone addiction was significantly and positively associated with psychological distress. • Rumination mediated the association between mobile phone addiction and psychological distress. • The direct effect of mobile phone addiction on psychological distress could be moderated by the capacity to be alone. • The capacity to be alone could also act as a buffer in the indirect effect of mobile phone addiction on psychological distress via rumination. • Both the direct effect and indirect effect of mobile phone addiction on psychological distress were stronger for adolescents with lower level of capacity to be alone.
Background With the increasing incidence of mobile phone addiction, mobile phone addiction has been considered to be related to adolescents’ psychological distress. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relation were still unclear. The present study tested the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of the capacity to be alone in the relation between mobile phone addiction and psychological distress. Methods 754 middle school students were recruited to complete measures of mobile phone addiction, rumination, the capacity to be alone, psychological distress and demographic variables. Results Mobile phone addiction was significantly and positively associated with psychological distress, and this link could be mediated by rumination. Moreover, the direct effect of mobile phone addiction on psychological distress and the indirect effect of rumination in this link were moderated by the capacity to be alone. Both these two effects were stronger for adolescents with lower capacity to be alone. Limitations The present study is limited in terms of its sample selection, cross-sectional design, and self-reported instruments. Conclusions The present study advances our understanding of how and when or for whom mobile phone addiction is related to serious psychological distress. Education professionals and parents should pay special attention to the psychological distress of adolescents suffering from mobile phone addiction, particularly for those with lower capacity to be alone.