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. 2023 Jan 25;23(1):67.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04563-9.

The relationship between technology addictions and schizotypal traits: mediating roles of depression, anxiety, and stress

Feten Fekih-Romdhane #  1   2 , Haitham Jahrami #  3   4 , Rami Away  5 , Khaled Trabelsi  6 , Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal  7   8 , Mary V Seeman  9 , Souheil Hallit  10   11   12 , Majda Cheour  5   13
Affiliations

The relationship between technology addictions and schizotypal traits: mediating roles of depression, anxiety, and stress

Feten Fekih-Romdhane et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: The way how technology addiction relates to psychosis remains inconclusive and uncertain. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of a mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress in the association between three technology (behavioral) addictions (i.e., Addiction to the Internet, smartphones and Facebook) and psychosis proneness as estimated through schizotypal traits in emerging adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among non-clinical Tunisian university students (67.6% females, mean age of 21.5 ± 2.5 years) using a paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire.

Results: Results for the Pearson correlation revealed that higher smartphone, Internet, and Facebook addictions' scores were significantly and positively correlated with each of the depression, anxiety and stress subscores; whereas depression (r = 0.474), anxiety (r = 0.499) and stress (r = 0.461) scores were positively correlated with higher schizotypal traits. The results of the mediation analysis found a significant mediating effect for depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms on the cross-sectional relationship between each facet of the TA and schizotypal traits.

Conclusion: Our findings preliminarily suggest that an addictive use of smartphones, Internet and Facebook may act as a stressor that exacerbates psychosis proneness directly or indirectly through distress. Although future longitudinal research is needed to determine causality, we draw attention to the possibility that treating psychological distress may constitute an effective target of interventions to prevent psychosis in adolescents with technology addictions.

Keywords: Facebook addiction; Internet addiction; Psychological distress; Psychosis; Schizotypy; Smartphone addiction.

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Conflict of interest statement

None to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The estimation of the direct and indirect effects of depression, anxiety and stress between TA and schizotypy. Each line is labeled with effects estimate and their 95%- confidence intervals. IAT: Internet Addiction Test; BFAS: Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale; SAS-SV: Smartphone Addiction Scale –Short Version; DASS-21: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales; SPQ: Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001
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