Effects of Online Social Support and Perceived Social Support on the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Problematic Smartphone Usage Among Chinese Undergraduates

Overview

Journal Psychol Res Behav Manag

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2021 May 12

PMID 33976576

Citations 19

Authors

Chengjia Zhao

Huihui Xu

Xinyi Lai

Xue Yang

Xiaolian Tu

Nani Ding

Yijun Lv

Guohua Zhang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Recent research has identified a relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage. However, little is known about the underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms. The present study aimed to test the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage as well as the mediating role of online social support and the moderating role of perceived social support among Chinese undergraduates.

Patients And Methods: A sample of 1123 college students participated in the study. The Perceived Stress Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale, Online Social Support Questionnaire, and Perceived Social Support Scale were used.

Results: Perceived stress was significantly and positively associated with problematic smartphone usage, and online social support partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage. Moderated mediation analysis suggested that perceived social support moderated the association between perceived stress and online social support. This relationship became stronger for college students with lower levels of perceived social support.

Conclusion: The results of this study can contribute to a better understanding of how perceived stress increases the risk of problematic smartphone usage. The importance of reducing online social support and enhancing perceived social support in preventing undergraduates' problematic smartphone usage is highlighted. The findings should be taken with caution given the convenience sampling and cross-sectional study design.

Citing Articles

Interaction Between Social Support and Muscle Dysmorphia: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Social Media Use.

Giordano F, Calaresi D, Castellani L, Verrastro V, Feraco T, Saladino V Behav Sci (Basel). 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 40001753 PMC: 11851406. DOI: 10.3390/bs15020122.

Relationships between daily emotional experiences and smartphone addiction among college students: moderated mediating role of gender and mental health problems.

Cheng Q, Zhou Y, Zhu H, Wang Q, Peng W Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1490338.

PMID: 39726616 PMC: 11670668. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1490338.

Does Academic Burnout Alleviate or Exacerbate Internet Dependence in University Students with Depression and Anxiety?.

Jiang S, Jia Q, Peng Z, Zhou Q, Yi Q, An Z Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2024; 20:2443-2455.

PMID: 39677508 PMC: 11646402. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S484205.

Cognitive Mechanisms Between Psychosocial Resources and the Behavioral Intention of Professional Help-Seeking for Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Adolescent Gamers: Cross-Sectional Mediation Study.

Yu Y, Ng J, Li J, Zhang J, Lau J JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024; 10:e52478.

PMID: 39588703 PMC: 11611788. DOI: 10.2196/52478.

The influence of organizational caring on mobile phone addiction in undergraduate nursing students: The chain mediating role of perceived stress and self-control.

Zheng W, Chen W, Fang J, Li N, Huang J, Wang L Heliyon. 2024; 10(18):e37679.

PMID: 39309796 PMC: 11416521. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37679.

References

Botta F, Moat H, Preis T . Quantifying crowd size with mobile phone and Twitter data. R Soc Open Sci. 2015; 2(5):150162. PMC: 4453255. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150162. View

Liu C, Ma J . Adult Attachment Orientations and Social Networking Site Addiction: The Mediating Effects of Online Social Support and the Fear of Missing Out. Front Psychol. 2020; 10:2629. PMC: 6988780. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02629. View

Affrunti N, Suarez L, Simpson D . Community violence and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in urban youth: The moderating influence of friend and parent support. J Community Psychol. 2019; 46(5):636-650. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.21963. View

Cole D, Nick E, Zelkowitz R, Roeder K, Spinelli T . Online Social Support for Young People: Does It Recapitulate In-person Social Support; Can It Help?. Comput Human Behav. 2017; 68:456-464. PMC: 5630180. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.058. View

Chen B, Liu F, Ding S, Ying X, Wang L, Wen Y . Gender differences in factors associated with smartphone addiction: a cross-sectional study among medical college students. BMC Psychiatry. 2017; 17(1):341. PMC: 5634822. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1503-z. View

Zimet G, Powell S, Farley G, WERKMAN S, Berkoff K . Psychometric characteristics of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. J Pers Assess. 1990; 55(3-4):610-7. DOI: 10.1080/00223891.1990.9674095. View

Sinha R . Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008; 1141:105-30. PMC: 2732004. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1441.030. View

Huang Q, Li Y, Huang S, Qi J, Shao T, Chen X . Smartphone Use and Sleep Quality in Chinese College Students: A Preliminary Study. Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11:352. PMC: 7218048. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00352. View

Bianchi A, Phillips J . Psychological predictors of problem mobile phone use. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2005; 8(1):39-51. DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2005.8.39. View

10.

Banstola R, Ogino T, Inoue S . Self-esteem, perceived social support, social capital, and risk-behavior among urban high school adolescents in Nepal. SSM Popul Health. 2020; 11:100570. PMC: 7115101. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100570. View

11.

Gao Q, Sun R, Fu E, Jia G, Xiang Y . Parent-child relationship and smartphone use disorder among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of quality of life and the moderating role of educational level. Addict Behav. 2019; 101:106065. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106065. View

12.

Gligor S, Mozos I . Indicators of smartphone addiction and stress score in university students. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2018; 131(5-6):120-125. DOI: 10.1007/s00508-018-1373-5. View

13.

Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R . A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983; 24(4):385-96. View

14.

Elhai J, Dvorak R, Levine J, Hall B . Problematic smartphone use: A conceptual overview and systematic review of relations with anxiety and depression psychopathology. J Affect Disord. 2016; 207:251-259. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.030. View

15.

Klink J, Byars-Winston A, Bakken L . Coping efficacy and perceived family support: potential factors for reducing stress in premedical students. Med Educ. 2008; 42(6):572-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008.03091.x. View

16.

Oviedo-Trespalacios O, Nandavar S, David Albert Newton J, Demant D, Phillips J . Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia…Is It Getting Worse?. Front Psychiatry. 2019; 10:105. PMC: 6422909. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00105. View

17.

Cohen S . Social relationships and health. Am Psychol. 2004; 59(8):676-684. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.8.676. View

18.

Lee C, Goldstein S . Loneliness, Stress, and Social Support in Young Adulthood: Does the Source of Support Matter?. J Youth Adolesc. 2015; 45(3):568-80. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0395-9. View

19.

Venkatesh E, Al Jemal M, Al Samani A . Smart phone usage and addiction among dental students in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2017; 31(1). DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2016-0133. View

20.

Borjalilu S, Mohammadi A, Mojtahedzadeh R . Sources and Severity of Perceived Stress Among Iranian Medical Students. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2015; 17(10):e17767. PMC: 4636747. DOI: 10.5812/ircmj.17767. View