article · BMC Psychiatry
Investigating connections between technology addictions and psychosis proneness measured through schizotypal traits in emerging adults reveals important mediating factors. A cross-sectional survey of non-clinical Tunisian university students showed that higher addiction scores for smartphones, the Internet, and Facebook positively correlated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. In turn, these distress symptoms showed significant positive correlations with schizotypal traits. Statistical mediation analysis demonstrated that depression, anxiety, and stress significantly mediate the relationship between each assessed technology addiction and schizotypal tendencies. These findings indicate that addictive technology use may function as a stressor that heightens vulnerability to psychosis, either directly or indirectly through distress. Consequently, managing psychological distress could serve as an effective focal point for preventive interventions in young adults demonstrating addictive digital behaviours.
Heavy digital media use is widespread among young adults, yet its links to severe mental health outcomes remain unclear. By showing that depression, anxiety, and stress mediate the link between technology addictions and schizotypal traits, this research highlights specific psychological mechanisms. This understanding helps educators and mental health practitioners identify key distress symptoms to monitor when supporting individuals displaying problematic digital habits.
This early-stage research offers preliminary evidence that could inform mental health screening protocols, student counselling frameworks, and digital wellness interventions targeting psychological distress. Potential users include clinical psychologists, university wellness centres, and digital health developers. However, because the evidence is drawn from a cross-sectional student survey and requires longitudinal validation, it remains at a basic research stage and is distant from immediate commercial deployment.
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BACKGROUND: The way how technology addiction relates to psychosis remains inconclusive and uncertain. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of a mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress in the association between three technology (behavioral) addictions (i.e., Addiction to the Internet, smartphones and Facebook) and psychosis proneness as estimated through schizotypal traits in emerging adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among non-clinical Tunisian university students (67.6% females, mean age of 21.5 ± 2.5 years) using a paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Results for the Pearson correlation revealed that higher smartphone, Internet, and Facebook addictions' scores were significantly and positively correlated with each of the depression, anxiety and stress subscores; whereas depression (r = 0.474), anxiety (r = 0.499) and stress (r = 0.461) scores were positively correlated with higher schizotypal traits. The results of the mediation analysis found a significant mediating effect for depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms on the cross-sectional relationship between each facet of the TA and schizotypal traits. CONCLUSION: Our findings preliminarily suggest that an addictive use of smartphones, Internet and Facebook may act as a stressor that exacerbates psychosis proneness directly or indirectly through distress. Although future longitudinal research is needed to determine causality, we draw attention to the possibility that treating psychological distress may constitute an effective target of interventions to prevent psychosis in adolescents with technology addictions.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04563-9
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