# Perceived stress and mobile phone addiction among Chinese undergraduate nursing students: the mediating role of organizational caring climate and self-control

## TL;DR

This study explores how stress affects mobile phone addiction in nursing students and how organizational care and self-control can help reduce it.

## Contribution

The study identifies new mediating pathways involving organizational caring climate and self-control in the stress-mobile phone addiction relationship.

## Key findings

- Perceived stress was positively linked to mobile phone addiction.
- Organizational caring climate and self-control mediated the relationship between stress and mobile phone addiction.
- A supportive climate and improved self-control can reduce problematic phone use in clinical training.

## Abstract

To examine the mediating roles of organizational caring climate and self-control in the association between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction among undergraduate nursing students, and to identify potential intervention targets for reducing MPA in clinical training contexts.

Between February and May 2023, a total of 900 Chinese undergraduate students from 10 colleges completed questionnaires, resulting in a response rate of 98.47%. Measures included demographic characteristics, perceived stress, organizational caring climate, self-control, and mobile phone addiction. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and the PROCESS macro.

Perceived stress was positively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = 0.362, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with organizational caring climate and self-control (r = -0.162 and −0.515, respectively; P < 0.01). Organizational caring climate was positively correlated with self-control (r = 0.152, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = -0.156, P < 0.01). Self-control was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = -0.468, P < 0.01). Mediation analyses indicated that perceived stress indirectly influenced mobile phone addiction through three pathways: the independent mediating effects of organizational caring climate and self-control, as well as their sequential mediating effect.

A supportive organizational caring climate may enhance self-control among undergraduate nursing students, thereby buffering the adverse effects of perceived stress on MPA. Strengthening institutional care and individual self-regulatory capacity may be effective strategies for reducing problematic mobile phone use and promoting healthier clinical training outcomes.