Mobile phone dependency and subclinical depressive-anxiety symptom co-occurrence in college students: a cross-lagged panel network analysis.

Background: With the widespread use of smartphones among college students, issues related to smartphone dependence have become increasingly prevalent. Existing research has shown that subclinical anxiety and depression often co-occur and are closely associated with smartphone dependence. This study employed a cross-lagged panel network approach to explore the dynamic interplay between smartphone dependence and the co-occurrence of subclinical anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students.

Methods: The Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used as measurement tools. Two waves of longitudinal data were collected from 571 college students (26.3% male; mean age = 19.53 years, SD = 1.12) between March 2024 and September 2024.

Results: The results revealed that anxiety symptoms significantly predicted smartphone dependence. The node Uncontrollable worry (A2) exerted the strongest influence on other symptoms, whereas Delayed work (MPAI-16) was more frequently predicted by other symptoms. The three strongest cross-lagged paths in the network were from Spend too much time (MPAI-2) to Complained by others (MPAI-1), from Uncontrollable worry (A2) to Delayed work (MPAI-16), and from Uncontrollable worry (A2) to Anxiety if not used for some time (MPAI-10), all of which played a key role in maintaining the overall network structure.

Conclusion: Based on these findings, interventions targeting smartphone dependence among college students should begin with an assessment of their interpersonal relationships and anxiety levels. Enhancing social support, fostering healthy interpersonal connections, and alleviating students' worries and fears may serve as effective strategies to reduce smartphone dependence in this population.