Smartphone dependency and mental health among Chinese rural adolescents: the mediating role of cognitive failure and parent-child relationship

Abstract

Background: With the widespread use of smartphones in daily life, smartphone dependency has become a global problem, especially among adolescents. Existing research studies have supported the association between smartphone dependency and the mental health of Chinese rural adolescents, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear.

Objective: The present study used a survey to test whether smartphone dependency may be associated with mental health in Chinese rural adolescents. The mediating role of cognitive failure and parent-child relationship was also examined.

Materials and methods: In total, 941 adolescents (45.91% male; mean age = 14.05, SD = 1.04) in rural areas of mainland China were recruited to complete four scales, including the Mobile Phone Dependence Scale (MPDS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Family Adaption and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES), and Mental Health of Middle School Students Scale.

Results: The results showed that both cognitive failure and parent-child relationship acted as mediators in the effect of smartphone dependency on mental health among Chinese rural adolescents, and smartphone dependency also affected parent-child relationship by influencing cognitive failure, thus affecting mental health among Chinese rural adolescents indirectly.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that improving parent-child relationships and reducing cognitive failure can reduce the impact of smartphone dependency on the mental health of Chinese rural adolescents.

Keywords: Chinese rural adolescents; cognitive failure; mental health; parent-child relationship; smartphone dependency.

Figure 1

Proposed mediation model.

Figure 2

Serial mediation model shows effects of mobile phone dependence, cognitive failure, and parent–child relationship on mental health. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.