Symptom network between problematic smartphone use and poor sleep quality in adolescents with depression

Yongjie Zhou; Jian Gong; Jing Shao; Nan Yan; Linlin Meng; Kongliang He; Ying Shen; Qian Wei; Chunyan Zhang; Xuan Lei; Yuehua Cao; Yanni Wang

doi:10.1186/s12888-025-06920-2

Symptom network between problematic smartphone use and poor sleep quality in adolescents with depression

Yongjie Zhou, Jian Gong, Jing Shao, Nan Yan, Linlin Meng, Kongliang He, Ying Shen, Qian Wei, Chunyan Zhang, Xuan Lei, Yuehua Cao, Yanni Wang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Language and Culture

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: This study established a network structure between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and poor sleep quality (PSQ) to explore their symptomatic relationship in adolescents with depression.

Methods: The data were obtained from the baseline data of the Chinese Adolescent Depression Cohort, which included depressed adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. PSU and PSQ were assessed via the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This study utilized network analysis to identify the core and bridge symptoms between PSU and PSQ.

Results: The core symptom of the network was ‘Anxiety and craving’ in the PSU. The symptoms ‘Anxiety and craving’, ‘Daytime dysfunction’ and ‘Sleep disturbances’ could function as bridges between PSU and PSQ. The symptom ‘Anxiety and craving’ played the most important role in the interaction between PSU and PSQ. It affects ‘Sleep disturbances’ that contribute to the harm of problematic smartphone use to sleep quality. The symptom ‘Daytime dysfunction’ of PSQ was the most severely affected by PSU.

Conclusions: Interventions that target regulating negative emotion and reducing daytime tiredness would be more effective in managing problematic smartphone use and improving sleep quality.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Original language	English
Article number	482
Number of pages	11
Journal	BMC Psychiatry
Volume	25
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06920-2
Publication status	Published - 13 May 2025

User-Defined Keywords

Adolescent
Depression
Directed acyclic graph
Network analysis
Poor sleep quality
Problematic smartphone use

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1186/s12888-025-06920-2

Cite this

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title = "Symptom network between problematic smartphone use and poor sleep quality in adolescents with depression",

abstract = "Background: This study established a network structure between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and poor sleep quality (PSQ) to explore their symptomatic relationship in adolescents with depression. Methods: The data were obtained from the baseline data of the Chinese Adolescent Depression Cohort, which included depressed adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. PSU and PSQ were assessed via the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This study utilized network analysis to identify the core and bridge symptoms between PSU and PSQ. Results: The core symptom of the network was {\textquoteleft}Anxiety and craving{\textquoteright} in the PSU. The symptoms {\textquoteleft}Anxiety and craving{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}Daytime dysfunction{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}Sleep disturbances{\textquoteright} could function as bridges between PSU and PSQ. The symptom {\textquoteleft}Anxiety and craving{\textquoteright} played the most important role in the interaction between PSU and PSQ. It affects {\textquoteleft}Sleep disturbances{\textquoteright} that contribute to the harm of problematic smartphone use to sleep quality. The symptom {\textquoteleft}Daytime dysfunction{\textquoteright} of PSQ was the most severely affected by PSU. Conclusions: Interventions that target regulating negative emotion and reducing daytime tiredness would be more effective in managing problematic smartphone use and improving sleep quality. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.",

keywords = "Adolescent, Depression, Directed acyclic graph, Network analysis, Poor sleep quality, Problematic smartphone use",

author = "Yongjie Zhou and Jian Gong and Jing Shao and Nan Yan and Linlin Meng and Kongliang He and Ying Shen and Qian Wei and Chunyan Zhang and Xuan Lei and Yuehua Cao and Yanni Wang",

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doi = "10.1186/s12888-025-06920-2",

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T1 - Symptom network between problematic smartphone use and poor sleep quality in adolescents with depression

AU - Zhou, Yongjie

AU - Gong, Jian

AU - Shao, Jing

AU - Yan, Nan

AU - Meng, Linlin

AU - He, Kongliang

AU - Shen, Ying

AU - Wei, Qian

AU - Zhang, Chunyan

AU - Lei, Xuan

AU - Cao, Yuehua

AU - Wang, Yanni

PY - 2025/5/13

Y1 - 2025/5/13

N2 - Background: This study established a network structure between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and poor sleep quality (PSQ) to explore their symptomatic relationship in adolescents with depression. Methods: The data were obtained from the baseline data of the Chinese Adolescent Depression Cohort, which included depressed adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. PSU and PSQ were assessed via the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This study utilized network analysis to identify the core and bridge symptoms between PSU and PSQ. Results: The core symptom of the network was ‘Anxiety and craving’ in the PSU. The symptoms ‘Anxiety and craving’, ‘Daytime dysfunction’ and ‘Sleep disturbances’ could function as bridges between PSU and PSQ. The symptom ‘Anxiety and craving’ played the most important role in the interaction between PSU and PSQ. It affects ‘Sleep disturbances’ that contribute to the harm of problematic smartphone use to sleep quality. The symptom ‘Daytime dysfunction’ of PSQ was the most severely affected by PSU. Conclusions: Interventions that target regulating negative emotion and reducing daytime tiredness would be more effective in managing problematic smartphone use and improving sleep quality. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

AB - Background: This study established a network structure between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and poor sleep quality (PSQ) to explore their symptomatic relationship in adolescents with depression. Methods: The data were obtained from the baseline data of the Chinese Adolescent Depression Cohort, which included depressed adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. PSU and PSQ were assessed via the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This study utilized network analysis to identify the core and bridge symptoms between PSU and PSQ. Results: The core symptom of the network was ‘Anxiety and craving’ in the PSU. The symptoms ‘Anxiety and craving’, ‘Daytime dysfunction’ and ‘Sleep disturbances’ could function as bridges between PSU and PSQ. The symptom ‘Anxiety and craving’ played the most important role in the interaction between PSU and PSQ. It affects ‘Sleep disturbances’ that contribute to the harm of problematic smartphone use to sleep quality. The symptom ‘Daytime dysfunction’ of PSQ was the most severely affected by PSU. Conclusions: Interventions that target regulating negative emotion and reducing daytime tiredness would be more effective in managing problematic smartphone use and improving sleep quality. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Depression

KW - Directed acyclic graph

KW - Network analysis

KW - Poor sleep quality

KW - Problematic smartphone use

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DO - 10.1186/s12888-025-06920-2

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JO - BMC Psychiatry

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M1 - 482

ER -

Symptom network between problematic smartphone use and poor sleep quality in adolescents with depression

Abstract

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