The mediating role of daytime sleepiness between problematic smartphone use and post-traumatic symptoms in COVID-19 home-refined adolescents

Abstract

Background COVID-19 was first recognized in late 2019 in China, at which time school closures forced most students to isolate at home or maintain social distance, both of which increased smartphone use, daytime sleepiness and post traumatic disorder (PTSD) risks. However, to date, no research has fully explored these behavioral risks or the consequences. Methods Two thousand and ninety home-confined students from two Chinese high schools participated in an online-based questionnaire battery that assessed their sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 related exposures, daytime sleepiness, problematic smartphone use, and PTSD. The subsequent data were subjected to mediation analysis, and structural equation models (SEM) were employed to explore the variable relationships. Results The problematic smartphone use, daytime sleepiness and PTSD prevalence were respectively 16.4%, 20.2% and 6.9%. The number of COVID-19 related exposure was directly associated with problematic smartphone use and PTSD symptoms. Problematic smartphone use was found to be a mediator between COVID-19 related exposure and PTSD symptoms, and daytime sleepiness was found to partially mediate the associations between problematic smartphone use and PTSD. Conclusions The more exposure associated with the pandemic, the more psychological and behavioral problems the adolescents had. The relatively high rate of problematic smartphone use in home isolated adolescents possibly increased the risk of daytime sleepiness and psychological problems. Therefore, targeted improvements are needed to reduce the risk of psychological problems and daytime sleepiness in adolescents.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Problematic Smartphone Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Bangladeshi Study

“… 10 The high rate of smartphone addiction among the Bangladeshi students during the COVID-19 pandemic is concerning, as the prior studies have reported substantial consequences related to excessive smartphone use among students. 26–28 However, some of the reasons can explain such a higher PSU prevalence rate in the present study. For example, the participants who mandatorily attend online schooling might be responsible, as the previous study reported.…”

Relationship of Problematic Smartphone Use, Sleep Quality, and Daytime Fatigue Among Quarantined Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A cross-sectional online survey conducted by Chen and colleagues showed that primary school children who had psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak might spend longer time on Internet-related activities (7). The relationship between PSU and psychological distress has been influenced by the COVID-19, which has been confirmed by Chen's another longitudinal Study (8). Some scholars identified the overuse of smartphones as a hidden crisis during the pandemic (9), and this issue has been highlighted by recent literatures in China.…”

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mobile Phone Dependence, and Academic Boredom in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This supports previous findings of a positive correlation between PTSD and mobile phone dependence ( Contractor et al, 2017 ). One possible reason for this association is that adolescents with PTSD tended to use mobile phones to constantly search for information related to the pandemic and watch pandemic-related videos, so as to gain the understanding of the pandemic and alleviate the unknown fear of the pandemic, and these behaviors make them fall into more serious mobile phone use ( Elhai et al, 2020 ; Hu et al, 2021 ). In addition, these adolescents with PTSD might resort to use mobile phones to escape the pressures of society, school, and family ( Yu and Wang, 2020 ), and regulate their emotions to increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions, and maintain a balanced emotional state ( Contractor et al, 2018 ).…”