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How Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Link Boredom, Loneliness, and Smartphone Addiction in Lebanese Young Adults

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 26, 2026

Abstract

Smartphone addiction was reported in 49.3% of males and 43.7% of females among Lebanese young adults aged 18 to 29.

Smartphone addiction is significantly associated with higher levels of boredom proneness, anxiety, and loneliness.
Anxiety may mediate the relationship between both boredom proneness and loneliness with smartphone addiction.
Depression and stress do not appear to mediate the association between boredom or loneliness and smartphone addiction.
The findings suggest a strong link between smartphone addiction and psychological disorders.

Simplified

To evaluate the association between boredom proneness, loneliness, and smartphone addiction among Lebanese young adults and examine the mediating role of depression, anxiety, and stress in this association.This cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2020 during the lockdown period of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. An online survey was completed by 461 young adults aged 18 to 29 years.The results showed that 66 of 134 males (49.3%, scores ≥ 31) and 143 of 327 females (43.7%, scores ≥ 33) had smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction was significantly associated with higher boredom proneness ( < .001), anxiety ( = .012), and loneliness ( = .025). Anxiety mediated the association between boredom proneness and smartphone addiction and between loneliness and smartphone addiction, whereas depression and stress did not mediate the association between boredom/loneliness and smartphone addiction.Smartphone addiction is highly associated with psychological disorders, and screening strategies are needed to minimize addiction. This study emphasizes the importance of investigating the relation between smartphone addiction and psychological disorders. Objective: Methods: Results: Conclusions: P P P

How Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Link Boredom, Loneliness, and Smartphone Addiction in Lebanese Young Adults

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