# Perceived Stress and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Among Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and the Moderating Role of Self-Control

## TL;DR

This study explores how stress leads to smartphone addiction in young adults, with psychological distress acting as a middle step and self-control reducing the impact.

## Contribution

The study identifies psychological distress as a mediator and self-control as a moderator in the relationship between stress and smartphone addiction.

## Key findings

- Perceived stress significantly predicts smartphone application-based addiction (SABA) through psychological distress.
- Self-control reduces the impact of stress on psychological distress in young adults.
- Targeted interventions for individuals with low self-control may help reduce smartphone addiction.

## Abstract

Previous research has established the significant role of perceived stress in contributing to Smartphone addiction, but the specific effects and mechanisms through which perceived stress influences smartphone application-based addiction (SABA) among young adults remain insufficiently understood.

This study investigates the relationship between perceived stress and the smartphone application-based addiction (SABA) in emerging adulthood, focusing on the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of self-control.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1.911 young adults in Southwest China, utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABA), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS).

Perceived stress positively predicted psychological distress (β = .47, t = 24.38, P < .001), psychological distress positively predicted Smartphone application-based addiction (β = .42, t = 7.04, P < .001), and perceived stress positively predicted smartphone application-based addiction (β = .65, t = 11.46, P < .001). Psychological distress was a mediating variable between the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone application-based addiction, with a mediating effect size of .19 (95% CI = [.13, .26]), accounting for 22.62% of the total effect. Self-control moderated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress in young adults (β = -.03, t = -7.09, P < .001).

Our findings reveal a positive correlation between perceived stress and SABA, with psychological distress serving as a mediator. The impact of perceived stress on SABA is more signiicant among individuals with lower self-control, indicating that targeted interventions for these groups may be particularly beneicial.