The Role of Psychological Distress and Social Adjustment in Predicting Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction Among Adolescents
Keywords:
: Psychological Distress, Social Adjustment, Social Media Addiction, Mobile-Based Social Networks, Adolescents, Smartphone Addiction, Mental HealthAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the role of psychological distress and social adjustment in predicting mobile-based social network addiction among adolescents.
Methods and Materials: This study was fundamental in purpose and employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all male and female secondary school students in Dujail City, Salah al-Din Province, Iraq, during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using Cochran’s formula and a multistage cluster random sampling method, 383 students were selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using the California Social Adjustment Questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and simultaneous multiple regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26.
Findings: The results indicated a significant positive relationship between psychological distress and mobile-based social network addiction (r = .38, p < .01). Social adjustment was negatively and significantly associated with mobile-based social network addiction (r = -.27, p < .01). Furthermore, psychological distress and social adjustment were significantly correlated with each other (r = -.35, p < .01). The assumptions of normality and absence of multicollinearity were satisfied before conducting regression analysis. Simultaneous multiple regression analysis demonstrated that psychological distress and social adjustment jointly predicted mobile-based social network addiction, with the overall model being statistically significant, F(2, 380) = 32.03, p < .001. The predictor variables explained 19% of the variance in mobile-based social network addiction (R² = .19). Psychological distress positively predicted social network addiction (β = .13, t = 4.45, p < .001), whereas social adjustment negatively predicted social network addiction (β = -.16, t = -4.65, p < .001).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that psychological distress is a significant risk factor, whereas social adjustment serves as a protective factor against mobile-based social network addiction among adolescents. Adolescents experiencing higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress are more likely to engage excessively in social networking activities, while those with stronger social adjustment skills demonstrate lower vulnerability to problematic social media use.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mortadha Abd Salman Al-Dujaili (Author); Majid Mahmoud Alilou; Fatemeh Nemati Sogolitappeh (Author)
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