Smartphone Addiction and Its Impact on Students' Mental Health: The Role of Sleep Quality

Mobile phone addiction among university students in China has emerged as a significant concern, with its impact on mental health drawing increasing attention in academic circles. This study aims to delve deeper into the relationship between mobile phone addiction and mental health among students, exploring potential underlying mechanisms. A comprehensive cross-sectional survey involving 581 students from Huazhong University in Wuhan, China, was conducted to assess this phenomenon. Our findings indicate a negative correlation between mobile phone addiction and mental health. Furthermore, sleep quality appears to serve as a partial mediator in this relationship, suggesting that poor sleep quality may exacerbate the adverse effects of excessive mobile phone usage on mental health. These insights underscore the urgent need for university administrators, healthcare providers, and families to recognize and address the implications of mobile phone overuse among students. This study contributes to a better understanding of how mobile phone addiction could potentially disrupt mental well-being in the university student population.