Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale Research Articles

The mediating effect of attentional impulsivity between mindfulness and problematic smartphone use

ObjectiveProblematic smartphone use has been linked to lower levels of mindfulness, impaired attentional function, and higher impulsivity. This study aimed to identify the psychological mechanisms of problematic smartphone use by exploring the relationship between addictive smartphone use, mindfulness, attentional function and impulsivity.MethodsNinety participants were evaluated with the smartphone addiction proneness scale and classified into the problematic smartphone use group (n = 42; 24 women; mean age: 27.6 ± 7.2 years) or normal use group (n = 48; 22 women; mean age: 30.1 ± 5.7 years). All participants completed self-report questionnaires evaluating their trait impulsivity and mindfulness and attention tests that assessed selective, sustained and divided attention. We compared the variables between the groups and explored the relationship between mindfulness, attentional function, impulsivity and addictive smartphone use through mediation analysis.ResultsThe problematic smartphone use group showed higher trait impulsivity and lower mindfulness than the normal use group. There were no significant group differences in performance on attention tests. Levels of addictive smartphone use were significantly correlated with higher levels of trait impulsivity and lower levels of mindfulness, but not with performance on attention tests. Mediation analysis showed that acting with awareness, an aspect of mindfulness, reduces the degree of addictive smartphone use through attentional impulsivity, one of the trait impulsivity.ConclusionActing without sufficient awareness could influence addictive smartphone use by mediating attentional impulsivity. This supports that executive control deficits, reflected in high attentional impulsivity, contribute to problematic smartphone use. Our findings imply that mindfulness-based interventions can enhance executive control over smartphone use by promoting awareness.

Long-term protective effects of physical activity and self-control on problematic smartphone use in adolescents: A longitudinal mediation analysis

Background and aimsAdolescents are more likely to experience problematic smartphone use (PSU) due to developmental immaturity. As most previous studies have focused on cross-sectional relationships between PSU, self-control, and physical activity, it is difficult to make valid inferences about their causal relationships and long-term effects. This study aims to investigate the interrelationships between these three variables through a mediation analysis based on a cross-lagged model in a longitudinal design. MethodsA total of 2131 participants (Mage = 12.14, SD = 2.29, 51.5% female) were surveyed at three time points with 1-year intervals. Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) and revised Self-Control Scale were used to assess PSU and self-control respectively. Physical activity was measured with an item questioning frequency of physical activity. ResultsCross-lagged model showed that both self-control and physical activity were negatively and bidirectionally associated with PSU. Self-control had a positive predictive effect on physical activity at the next time point. Additionally, self-control positively predicted subsequent physical activity, which in turn negatively predicted subsequent PSU, indicating a mediating effect of physical activity between self-control and PSU. ConclusionSelf-control and physical activity had a long-term effect on reducing the propensity for PSU. Because of the accessibility and operability of physical activity interventions, the public and policy-makers need to prioritize physical activity as an intervention to prevent PSU in adolescents.

Smartphone addiction and its implications on psychosocial well-being in Saudi school-age children

Background: Despite smartphones' compelling qualities and their use to access the online world, it has become an integral part of our lives eventually leading to smartphone addiction in its users, especially children. This study focuses on elaborating on the association between smartphone addiction and sleeping, school performance, and poor psycho-social well-being among Saudi school-age children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling a total of 363 subjects through an online survey conducted in different malls in Riyadh city. A cross-section study using a self-administered questionnaire contains specific questions related to smartphone addiction in children. The smartphone addiction proneness scale (SPAP) is used to measure the possibility of being addicted to smartphones. Data analysis was achieved by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. Results: This study found strong correlations between smartphone usage and poor school performance (p < 0.010) and between less sleep and low academic achievement (p < 0.001). Male children had significantly higher scores for smartphone addiction (SPAP) than females (p = 0.023), suggesting males struggle more with planned activities due to smartphone use. Aggressive behavior and poor communication were associated with smartphone usage, but there was no significant difference between genders in this aspect (p = 0.153). Conclusion: There was evidence that a usage time of smartphones 2> hours a day was linked to poor psychosocial well-being, with no association between smartphone addiction effects and specific gender, more awareness should be raised the parents to limit the excessive usage of smartphones among their children.

Exploring the role of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance in predicting smartphone use among medical university students

We investigated the role of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance in the relationship between stress and smartphone use. A total of 725 medical students completed self-reported questionnaires that consisted of the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The total and all subscale scores for smartphone use were positively correlated with stress, cognitive fusion, and experiential avoidance. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that adding the two variables, namely, cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance, accounted for an additional 10% of the variance in smartphone use. However, only cognitive fusion was a significant predictor. Moreover, cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance individually played a mediating role in the relationship between stress and smartphone use. These findings suggest that the ACT may be an excellent paradigm to advance our understanding of smartphone addiction and the authorities in medical schools should consider intervention strategies of ACT, particularly mindfulness and cognitive defusion, for medical students with smartphone overuse.

RELATIONSHIP OF SMART PHONE ADDICTION WITH COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONS REGULATION: AN ANALYSIS AMONG PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN

The current study sought to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction and preschoolers' ability to regulate their emotions and cognition. A sample of N=110 preschoolers was selected using the purposive sampling method from the general community of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The current study employed a cross-sectional research approach. Data was gathered using the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Young Children by Kim and Lee (2014) and the cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) kid's version by Garnefski et al. Version 21 of SPSS was used to evaluate the data. The study's hypotheses were tested using frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and regression analysis. The findings indicated that smartphone addiction among preschoolers was high. It was shown that there was a substantial correlation between cognitive emotion management techniques and smartphone addiction. Rumination, positive reappraisal, perspective-taking, refocusing on planning, and positive refocusing were discovered to have a significant negative correlation with cognitive emotion regulation strategies, whereas self-blame, acceptance, catastrophizing, and other blame were discovered to have a significant positive correlation with smartphone addiction. Additionally, especially among preschoolers, smartphone addiction has a considerable impact on cognitive emotion management skills. Keywords: Smartphone Addiction, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies, Preschool children.

스마트폰 중독경향성과 학업소진의 관계에서 수면의 질과 학업지연행동의 매개효과

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of sleep quality and academic procrastination in relationship between smartphone addiction tendencies and academic burnout for university students.
 Methods The Self-report survey was conducted on 426 (under)graduate students. To measure the variables, the S-scale-A (Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Adults), SQS (The Sleep Quality Scale), API (Aitken Procrastination Inventory), and MBI-SS (Korean version of Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey) were included in the survey.
 Results The findings of this study showed that smartphone addiction tendencies, low sleep quality, academic procrastination, and academic burnout were all significantly correlated in a positive direction. Furthermore, the results indicated that low sleep quality and academic procrastination had a sequential mediating effect on the relationship between smartphone addiction tendencies and academic burnout.
 Conclusions The results specify the mediating role of low sleep quality and academic procrastination in relationship between smartphone addiction tendencies and academic burnout for (under)graduate students. Finally, the clinical implications, limitations of this study and future research directions were suggested.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex with intrinsic brain networks in male problematic smartphone users

The excessive use of smartphones is associated with various medical complications and mental health problems. However, existing research findings on neurobiological mechanisms behind problematic smartphone use are limited. In this study, we investigated functional connectivity in problematic smartphone users, focusing on the default mode network (DMN) and attentional networks. We hypothesized that problematic smartphone users would have alterations in functional connectivity between the DMN and attentional networks and that such alterations would correlate with the severity of problematic smartphone use. This study included 30 problematic smartphone users and 35 non-problematic smartphone users. We carried out group independent component analysis (group ICA) to decompose resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data into distinct networks. We examined functional connectivity using seed-to-seed analysis and identified the nodes of networks in group ICA, which we used as region of interest. We identified greater functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) with the ventral attention network (VAN) and with the DMN in problematic smartphone users. In seed-to-seed analysis, problematic smartphone users showed atypical dACC-VAN functional connectivity which correlated with the smartphone addiction proneness scale total scores. Our resting-state fMRI study found greater functional connectivity between the dACC and attentional networks in problematic smartphone users. Our findings suggest that increased bottom-up and interoceptive attentional processing might play an important role in problematic smartphone use.

Harm avoidance, daily stress, and problematic smartphone use in children and adolescents.

ObjectiveTemperament is close to susceptibility to stress and the increased level of stress may lead problematic smartphone use (PSU). In this study, the relationships between harm avoidance (HA) as a personality trait, daily traits, and PSU in children and adolescents were investigated.MethodsAt baseline, all participants (184 children and adolescents, mean age 13.15 years) completed questionnaires on PSU using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS). The Daily Hassles Questionnaire (DHQ) and Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI) were also administered to evaluate stress levels and personality traits. SAS-SV, SAPS, and DHQ were reassessed at 3 and 6 months.ResultsAmong JTCI temperament, HA displayed robust positive correlations with SAS-SV, SAPS, and DHQ at all time points. Mediation effects of daily stress on the relationship between HA and PSU were observed at baseline, 3, and 6 months.ConclusionThe findings suggest that managing stress may important in PSU children and adolescents with high HA.

Psychometric properties of the smartphone addiction proneness scale in a sample of Malaysian adolescents

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the 15-item smartphone addiction proneness scale (SAPS) among a sample of Malaysian adolescents. The gathered data were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. There were 922 secondary school students involved in this study. The exploratory factor analysis extracted a three-factor solution for SAPS. These factors were named disturbance of adaptive functions, withdrawal and tolerance. Results from confirmatory factor analysis also indicated that the three-factor structure fits well with the data. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be good. The positive and moderately strong correlation between SAPS and three widely adopted criterion variables (depression, loneliness and boredom proneness) supported the concurrent validity of SAPS. The results of this study showed that the SAPS is a reliable and valid instrument for identifying problematic smartphone use among Malaysian adolescents.

The relationship between stress and smartphone addiction among adolescents: the mediating effect of grit

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of grit on the relationship between stress and smartphone addiction among adolescents. Participants were 605 Korean students from age 12 to 16 (mean age = 13.97 years). Stress was assessed using the Daily Hassles Scales for Children in Korea developed by Han and Yoo (Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association, 33(4), 49-64, 1995). Grit was measured by the Korean translated version of the Original Grit Scale (Duckworth et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101, 2007; Park et al., Current Psychology, 39(2), 413-418, 2020), and smartphone addiction was measured by using the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth developed by the National Information Society Agency (2011). The mediating effect was analyzed by using PROCESS macro version 3.5, and bootstrapping was conducted to test the significance of the mediating effect. The results showed that adolescent's stress and grit significantly influenced smartphone addiction. Also, grit partially mediated the relationship between stress and smartphone addiction. This means that high levels of stress reduced grit, which in turn increased smartphone addiction proneness among adolescents. In addition, two factors of grit (consistency of interest and perseverance of effort) both mediated the association between stress and smartphone addiction. The current study is meaningful in that it is the first study to empirically investigate adolescent's grit in relation to stress and smartphone addiction. Moreover, this study can provide useful information about prevention and intervention strategies for smartphone addiction.

Associations between problematic smartphone use and behavioural difficulties, quality of life, and school performance among children and adolescents

BackgroundEuropean studies on determinants and factors associated with problematic smartphone use (PSU) in children and adolescents are still sparse. This study reports the current amount of PSU symptoms and the presence of (clinically relevant) PSU in German children and adolescents. We also investigated associations between socio-demographic factors, different smartphone usage patterns, and daily smartphone usage time and the amount of PSU symptoms in this group. In addition, associations of PSU symptoms and high smartphone usage times (> 2 h/day) with behavioural problems, quality of life (QoL), and school performance were investigated.MethodsWithin the framework of the LIFE Child study, 564 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years provided information on PSU symptoms (using the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale), daily smartphone usage time, smartphone activities, behavioural strengths and difficulties (using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), QoL (using the KIDSCREEN-27), and school performance. Multiple regression analyses were applied to assess associations.ResultsIn the present sample, PSU was present in 13 children (2.3%). Older age, female gender, high daily smartphone usage time of > 2 h, and intensive smartphone use for social networking, gaming, or watching video clips were significantly associated with more PSU symptoms. Children and adolescents reporting more PSU symptoms also showed lower QoL, more behavioural difficulties, and poorer school performance, independently of age, gender, socio-economic status, and daily smartphone usage time. In contrast, daily smartphone usage time per se showed only weak or non-significant associations with these aspects of health and behaviour.ConclusionIntensive smartphone use for entertainment may increase the risk of developing PSU symptoms. Furthermore, the results indicate that PSU symptoms (more than long smartphone usage times per se) are associated with more behavioural difficulties and poorer QoL.

Association between smartphone addiction risk, sleep quality, and sleep duration among Korean school-age children: a population-based panel study.

Smartphone addiction is regarded as a public health threat to the lives of children and adolescents. However, its association with sleep quality and quantity is poorly understood in the Korean context. This study investigated the association between smartphone addiction, sleep quality, and sleep duration among Korean school-age children. Our study employed data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey of 2018-2019, which included 4287 participants. Smartphone addiction was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale. A generalized estimating equation model was used to analyze the data. Children in the high-risk group showed an increased likelihood of poor sleep quality compared to those in the low-risk group (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, confidence interval (CI) [1.06-2.38]). Children in the potential-risk and high-risk groups showed an increased likelihood of short sleep duration compared to those in the low-risk group (potential-risk: OR = 1.44, CI [1.09-1.90]; high-risk: OR = 2.25, CI [1.66-3.05]) Children who are at high risk for smartphone addiction are likely to have poor sleep quality and short sleep duration. Therefore, appropriate interventions and continuous monitoring are required to protect children from smartphone addiction and improve their sleep quality and duration.

Factors Associated with Smartphone Addiction Tendency in Korean Adolescents.

This study aims to identify the factors associated with smartphone addiction tendency in Korean adolescents. A convenience sample of 502 students from four middle schools participated in the survey for the assessment of demographic, personal factors (resilience and academic stress), environmental factors (parental support, teacher support, friend support, and bullying victimization), as well as smartphone addiction tendency. Smartphone addiction tendency was determined based on the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth (SAPS) criteria developed by Kim et al. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and hierarchical logistic regression. Among the adolescents, 17.9% were in the smartphone addiction tendency group. The factors associated with smartphone addiction tendency were subjective economic level, academic stress, parental support, and bullying victimization. Based on the findings of this study, it is considered necessary to approach smartphone addiction management considering personal factors as well as environmental factors.

Smartphone Addiction Proneness Is Associated With Subjective-Objective Sleep Discrepancy in Patients With Insomnia Disorder.

ObjectiveSubjective reports of patients with insomnia often show a discrepancy with their objective assessments of sleep. We aimed to assess subjective-objective sleep discrepancy in subjects with insomnia disorder as well as the psychological factors associated with the discrepancy. MethodsThis study is a secondary analysis of the baseline data of a randomized controlled study on 110 adults aged 18 years to 59 years with insomnia disorder. Subjective reports on sleep and the objective measures acquired by an overnight polysomnography were used to measure the sleep discrepancy. Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS) were used to evaluate the psychological factors associated with the sleep discrepancy. ResultsMean total sleep time (TST) discrepancy of the participants was -81.65±97.41 minutes. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that age (adjusted OR=1.07, 95% CI=1.01–1.13, p=0.027), years of education (adjusted OR=0.69, 95% CI=0.48–0.91, p=0.017), and smartphone addiction proneness (adjusted OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.04–1.27, p=0.008) were independent predictors of TST misperception. Mean sleep onset latency (SOL) discrepancy of the participants was 41.28±45.01 minutes. Only anxiety was an independent predictor of SOL misperception (adjusted OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.05–1.31, p=0.006). ConclusionThe present study provides empirical evidence to increase our understanding of the various factors that are associated with subjective-objective sleep discrepancy. Screening insomnia patients with smartphone addiction proneness may help predict the potential discrepancy between the patients’ subjective reports and objective measures of sleep duration.

Reduced Volume of a Brainstem Substructure in Adolescents with Problematic Smartphone Use.

ObjectivesDespite the growing concern regarding the adverse effects related to problematic smartphone use (PSU), little is known about underlying morphologic changes in the brain. The brainstem is a deep brain structure that consists of several important nuclei associated with emotions, sensations, and motor functions. In this study, we sought to examine the difference in the volume of brainstem substructures among adolescents with and without PSU.MethodsA total of 87 Korean adolescents participated in this study. The PSU group (n=20, age=16.2±1.1, female:male=12:8) was designated if participants reported a total Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) score of ≥42, whereas the remaining participants were assigned to the control group (n=67, age=15.3±1.7, female:male=19:48). High-resolution T1 magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and the volume of each of the four brainstem substructures [midbrain, pons, medulla, and superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP)] was measured. Analysis of covariance was conducted to reveal group differences after adjusting for effects of age, gender, whole brain-stem volume, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity.ResultsThe PSU group showed a significantly smaller volume of the SCP than the control group (F=8.273, p=0.005). The volume of the SCP and the SAPS score were negatively correlated (Pearson’s r=-0.218, p=0.047).ConclusionThe present study is the first to reveal an altered volume of the brainstem substructure among adolescents with PSU. This finding suggests that the altered white matter structure in the brainstem could be one of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying behavioral changes in PSU.

Smartphone Addiction and Anxiety in Adolescents - A Cross-sectional Study.

Objectives: The overuse of smartphones affects physical, social, and psychological well-being. However, research on smartphone addiction and anxiety disorders is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between anxiety and smartphone addiction risk in Korean adolescents. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey method. We used the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale to assess anxiety symptoms and we used the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale index to evaluate the degree of high-risk or at-risk for smartphone addiction. Results: Analyses were performed for 1733 adolescents, including 771 boys and 962 girls. The high-risk or at-risk group for smartphone addiction accounted for 20.1% (p < .0001). Total anxiety scale score, as well as physiological anxiety, oversensitivity, and social concern categories were statistically different among levels of smartphone addiction risk (all ps < .0001). Multivariate analysis showed that poor self-reported health level, higher risk of smartphone addiction, having fewer close friends, caffeine drink consumption, female sex, and alcohol use were associated with greater anxiety. Conclusions: Management of smartphone addiction seems to be essential for proper psychological health. There is an urgent need to develop a way to prevent smartphone addiction on a social level.

Effectiveness of an mHealth Application to Overcome Problematic Smartphone Use: Comparing Mental Health of a Smartphone Control-Use Group and a Problematic-Use Group

We developed an mHealth application that can help alleviate the problematic use of smartphones and allied psychological symptoms. This study observed the change in patterns of users’ problematic smartphone use, depression, and anxiety while using the mHealth application. We conducted this study from 9 January to 10 April 2019. The Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Adults, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire were measured at week 0, 8, 12. A post hoc test of Repeated Measurement Anova analysis and Linear Mixed Model analysis were used. Overall, 190 participants were allocated into two groups. Sixty-six were in the smartphone control-use group and 124 were in the problematic-use group. The study elucidated the difference between the two groups in terms of problematic smartphone use and depression and anxiety after 13 weeks of using the mHealth application. This study showed the use of the mHealth application reducing problematic smartphone use scores and negative symptoms such as anxiety and depression in the PSU group. The results can be used as the basis for similar qualitative studies to further resolve the problematic use of smartphones.

Behavioral Intention to Use a Smartphone Usage Management Application Between a Non-Problematic Smartphone Use Group and a Problematic Use Group.

Despite the many advantages of smartphone in daily life, there are significant concerns regarding their problematic use. Therefore, several smartphone usage management applications have been developed to prevent problematic smartphone use. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors of users' behavioral intention to use smartphone usage management applications. Participants were divided into a smartphone use control group and a problematic use group to find significant intergroup path differences. The research model of this study is fundamentally based on the Technology Acceptance Model and Expectation-Confirmation Theory. Based on this theorem, models were modified to best suit the case of problematic smartphone use intervention by smartphone application. We conducted online surveys on 511 randomly selected smartphone users aged 20–60 in South Korea, in 2018. The Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale was used to measure participants' smartphone dependency. Descriptive statistics were used for the demographic analysis and collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0 and Amos 24.0. We found that in both non-problematic smartphone use group and problematic smartphone use group, facilitating factors and perceived security positively affect the intentions of users to use the application. One distinct difference between the groups was that the latter attributed a lower importance to perceived security than the former. Some of our highlighted unique points are envisioned to provide intensive insights for broadening knowledge about technology acceptance in the field of e-Addictology.

The Relationship among Parenting Style, Self-Regulation, and Smartphone Addiction Proneness in Indonesian Junior High School Students

Background: Smartphone addiction leads to physical, psychological, and social consequences for users, particularly for adolescent users, as psychological development is still in the process of maturation. Individual and family characteristics are shown to contribute to shaping adolescent’s behavior related to smartphone usage. Specifically, perceived parenting style and self-regulation have been reported as significant factors influencing smartphone addiction among adolescents.Objective: This study aims to identify the relationship among parenting style, self-regulation, and smartphone addiction proneness in Indonesian junior high school students.Method: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive study design. Data collection took place in five public junior high schools in Jember from the 7th of January to the 8th of February, 2019. The total sample of this study was 158, purposively asked to fill out three questionnaires: Parental Authority Questionnaire, Self-Regulation Questionnaire, and Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale. Chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to test the relationship between two variables.Result: The differences in smartphone addiction proneness between the risk group and non-risk group were significant depending on gender (p=0.004), daily smartphone usage time (p=0.025), and purpose of smartphone usage (p=0.001). A significant negative correlation was found between self-regulation and smartphone addiction proneness (r= -0.448, p=0.001).Conclusion: The current study found that 11.4% of junior high school students in Jember-Indonesia were categorized into risk groups for smartphone addiction. Gender, daily smartphone usage time, and purpose of smartphone usage showed significant differences between the risk group and the non-risk group. However, there was no difference in the parenting style of the mother between the two groups. Self-regulation showed a significant association with smartphone addiction. 

Caudate nucleus volume mediates the link between glutamatergic neurotransmission and problematic smartphone use in youth.

Background and aimsProblematic smartphone use (PSU) is growing rapidly among teens. It has similar presentations as other behavioral addictions in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain undiscovered. We hypothesized that structural changes in the striatum might serve as an important link between alteration in glutamate signaling and development of PSU.MethodsAmong 88 participants, twenty (F:M, 12:8; age 16.2 ± 1.1) reported high scores in the smartphone addiction proneness scale (SAPS) with a cut-off score of 42; the other 68 (F:M, 19:49; age 15.3 ± 1.7) comprised the control group. Sociodemographic data and depression, anxiety, and impulsivity traits were measured. Striatal volumes (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) were estimated from T1 imaging data. Serum glutamate levels were estimated from peripheral blood samples. Group comparisons of each data were performed after controlling for age and gender. Mediation analyses were conducted to test the indirect effects of glutamate level alteration on PSU through striatal volumetric alteration.ResultsThe PSU group showed a decrease in both caudate volumes than the control group. Left caudate volume was positively correlated with serum glutamate level, and negatively with impulsivity traits and SAPS scores. The mediation model revealed a significant indirect effect of serum glutamate on SAS scores through the reduced left caudate volume.Discussion and conclusionsThis study suggests that altered glutamatergic neurotransmission may be associated with PSU among teens, possibly through reduced left caudate volume. Current findings might support neural mechanisms of smartphone addiction.