A cross-lagged panel model for testing the bidirectional relationship between depression and smartphone addiction and the influences of maladaptive metacognition on them in Chinese adolescents

Hui Zhou; Le Dang; Long W Lam; Meng Xuan Zhang; Anise M S Wu

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106978

A cross-lagged panel model for testing the bidirectional relationship between depression and smartphone addiction and the influences of maladaptive metacognition on them in Chinese adolescents

Addict Behav. 2021 Sep:120:106978. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106978. Epub 2021 May 4.

Authors

Hui Zhou¹, Le Dang², Long W Lam³, Meng Xuan Zhang¹, Anise M S Wu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China; Faulty of Teacher Education, Pingdingshan University, South Weilai Road, Xinhua District, Pingdingshan, Henan, China.
³ Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China. Electronic address: anisewu@um.edu.mo.

PMID: 33971499
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106978

Abstract

Aims: Despite the high prevalence of both depression and smartphone addiction among Chinese adolescents, research examining their bidirectional relationship has been limited. Moreover, longitudinal research regarding the influence of maladaptive metacognitive beliefs on smartphone addiction is scarce. This 6-month longitudinal study aimed to address these research gaps by testing a cross-lagged panel model of maladaptive metacognition, depression, and smartphone addiction.

Methods: Four hundred and fifty-nine Chinese high school students voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire at baseline, and 313 of them (36.1% male; age = 14 to 18; M = 16.88, SD = 0.62) completed the same questionnaire at follow-up.

Results: Positive correlations were shown among depression, smartphone addiction, and maladaptive metacognition at both waves (r = 0.16 to 0.57, p < .01). The results of the cross-lagged analysis demonstrated only the prospective effect of depression on smartphone addiction (β = 0.18, p < .001) but not vice versa. Moreover, maladaptive metacognition assessed at baseline significantly predicted subsequent depression (β = 0.14, p < .01) but not smartphone addiction (p>.05). Additional path analysis showed a significant indirect effect of baseline maladaptive metacognition (0.099 [95% CI = 0.042, 0.183]) on subsequent smartphone addiction, via depression.

Conclusions: Findings of this study showed that the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction was unidirectional rather than bidirectional among Chinese adolescents. Specifically, depression predicted smartphone addiction, while maladaptive metacognition predicted depression. Depression also mediated the relationship between maladaptive metacognition and smartphone addiction. The findings suggest that incorporating metacognition and depression interventions into smartphone addiction prevention designs for adolescents may be beneficial.

Keywords: Chinese adolescents; Depression; Longitudinal study; Maladaptive metacognition; Smartphone addiction.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
China / epidemiology
Depression / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Internet Addiction Disorder
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Metacognition*
Prospective Studies
Smartphone