Association between mental flexibility and somatic symptom disorder mediated by smartphone addiction among university students

Abstract

Background: Smartphone addiction is categorized as a behavioral addiction that in adolescents and youths can affect many aspects of life, including education and physical health, and is accompanied by such problems as reduced interpersonal problems, anger, aggression, and emotion. This study designed to assess the association between mental flexibility and somatoform mediated by smartphone addiction among university students in 2020. Methods: The study was a descriptive correlation performed employing path analysis. The study population included all students of the Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz in the academic year 2020-2021, 251 students were selected using simple random sampling. In the present research, we utilized the Somatic Symptoms Experiences Questionnaire (SSEQ), Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), and Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). The proposed model was assessed using path analysis with AMOS version 23.0 software. Results: There was a negative and significant association between mental flexibility and smartphone addiction (β=-0.47, P=0.001). Moreover, there was a positive association between smartphone addiction and somatoform (β=0.41, P=0.001). There was no significant association between mental flexibility and somatoform (β=-0.10, P=0.07). The path analysis results showed the mediating role of smartphone addiction in the association between mental flexibility and somatoform in university students (β=-0.27, P=0.001). Conclusion: Our model had a good fit, and, as a result, it could be helpful as an important step in identifying the aspects affecting the somatic symptom disorder of university students with smartphone addiction.