Abstract
Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has been associated with anxiety and depression, but few explored its mental well-being correlates that could co-occur with or be independent of mental symptoms. We studied the associations of PSU with anxiety, depression, and mental well-being in Hong Kong Chinese adults in a probability-based survey (N = 4054; 55.0% females; mean age ± SD 48.3 ± 18.3 years). PSU was measured using Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version. Anxiety and depression symptoms were evaluated using General Anxiety Disorder screener-2 (GAD-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Mental well-being was measured using Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS). Multivariable regression analyzed associations adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle-related variables. Associations of PSU with mental well-being were stratified by symptom severity of anxiety (GAD-2 cutoff of 3) and depression (PHQ-2 cutoff of 3). We found that PSU was associated with higher odds of anxiety and depression symptom severity and lower scores of SHS and SWEMWBS. Associations of PSU with lower SHS and SWEMWBS scores remained in respondents who screened negative for anxiety or depression symptoms. To conclude, PSU was associated with anxiety, depression, and impaired mental well-being. Associations of PSU with impaired mental well-being could be independent of anxiety or depression symptoms.
Highlights
The evolving mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) have raised debates about the potential effects on mental health
Respondents screened positive for anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively
We provided the first evidence of the associations of problematic smartphone use (PSU) with impaired hedonic and eudemonic well−being, which remained in respondents who screened negative for anxiety or depression symptoms
Summary
The evolving mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) have raised debates about the potential effects on mental health. Many studies have shown the associations between poor mental health outcomes and excessive or intensive use of phone calls, texts, IM, emails, and SNS [3]. These are privileged applications of problematic smartphone use (PSU), an impaired ability to control smartphone use with core symptoms such as loss of control, tolerance, and withdrawal shared with gaming disorder and substance use disorders [4]. PSU has been associated with an array of health outcomes, including. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 844; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030844 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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