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

• Published in: Addictive behaviors 2021-09, Vol.120, p.106978-106978, Article 106978
• Main Authors: Zhou, Hui, Dang, Le, Lam, Long W., Zhang, Meng Xuan, Wu, Anise M.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chinese adolescents; Depression; Longitudinal study; Maladaptive metacognition; Smartphone addiction
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106978

•Depression was a salient predictor for smartphone addiction.•Smartphone addiction was not a salient predictor for depression.•Maladaptive metacognition was positively correlated with depression and smartphone addiction at both waves.•Maladaptive metacognition predicted depression but not smartphone addiction 6 months later.•Maladaptive metacognition had an indirect effect on smartphone addiction via depression. 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. 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. Positive correlations were shown among depression, smartphone addiction, and maladaptive metacognition at both waves (r = 0.16 to 0.57, p