Journal of Child and Family Studies

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-01323-2

ORIGINAL PAPER

Mobile Phone Addiction and Adolescents’ Anxiety and Depression:

The Moderating Role of Mindfulness
Xiujuan Yang1,2 Zongkui Zhou1,2 Qingqi Liu1,2 Cuiying Fan1,2
● ● ●

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019

Abstract
Objectives Prior studies have documented that mobile phone addiction is linked to anxiety and depression. However, the
underlying processes that might moderate these associations remain unclear. The present research tested whether mind-
fulness moderated the relations between mobile phone addiction and both anxiety and depression in adolescents.
Methods A sample of 1258 high school students (mean age = 16.76, SD = .94) in China completed the measures regarding
their mobile phone addiction, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness.
Results Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that after controlling for gender and grade, mobile phone addiction
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was positively associated with adolescents’ anxiety and depression. In addition, the relationships between mobile phone
addiction and both anxiety and depression were moderated by mindfulness, in that they were stronger for adolescents with
lower levels of mindfulness.
Conclusions The present research contributes to a deeper understanding of whether the links between mobile phone
addiction and mental health problems (i.e., anxiety, depression) are moderated by important personality traits such as
mindfulness. Limitations and research implications of these findings are discussed.
Keywords Mobile phone addiction Mindfulness Anxiety Depression Adolescents
● ● ● ●

Mobile phones, especially smartphones, are ubiquitous in
modern society. As an excellent carrier of mobile Internet
technology, mobile phone can realize multiple functions for
socializing, entertainment, and shopping. Mobile phone use
has grown dramatically worldwide in recent years. For
instance, in China, about 1.55 billion mobile phone sub-
scriptions had been registered as of September 2018
(Statista 2018). According to the 42nd Statistical Report on
Internet Development released by China Internet Network
Information Center (2018), the number of Chinese mobile
Internet users had amounted to 788 million by the end of
June 2018, and mobile netizens had accounted for 98.3% of
the total netizen population.
* Zongkui Zhou
zhouzk@mail.ccnu.edu.cn
1
Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior
(CCNU), Ministry of Education, 430079 Wuhan, China
2
School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, NO.152
Luoyu Road, 430079 Wuhan, China
With the prevalence of mobile phones, repetitive and
compulsive mobile phone use (i.e., mobile phone addiction)
has become a major public concern (Chen et al. 2016; Lepp
et al. 2014). As a type of technological addiction (i.e., non-
chemical behavioral addiction which involves human-
machine interaction; Kuss and Billieux 2016), mobile
phone addiction can be conceptualized as the excessive and
compulsive use of mobile phones, which is associated with
negative consequences in various social, behavioral, and
affective aspects (Billieux 2012; Jun 2016). Mobile phone
addiction is characterized by the key symptoms of obsessive
thoughts about mobile phones (craving), spending more and
more time on mobile phones in spite of high economic costs
(tolerance), experiencing anxiety when mobile phones are
unavailable (withdrawal), and inability to control or cease
mobile phone use and no longer having fun in other
activities that used to be enjoyable (Kim et al. 2015). It is
worth noting that utilizing the term “mobile phone addic-
tion” to refer to excessive or uncontrolled use of mobile
phones (i.e., inability to regulate one’s overuse of mobile
phones) is controversial (Billieux et al. 2015; Kardefelt-
Winther et al. 2017; Kim et al. 2015). Specifically, although
excessive or uncontrolled use of mobile phones may include

symptoms (e.g., tolerance, withdrawal) that resemble those
observed with behavioral addiction (i.e., a repeated beha-
vior lasting over a significant period of time and leading to
significant harm or distress; Kardefelt-Winther et al. 2017),
the neurobiological and behavioral similarities between
mobile phone addiction and other types of recognized
addictive behaviors are still under debate (Billieux et al.
2015). Moreover, the precise incidence, prevalence, and
symptomatology of mobile phone addiction remain a matter
of controversy (Billieux et al. 2015; Lopez-Fernandez et al.
2017). Therefore, the use of such a term as mobile phone
addiction (e.g., Chen et al. 2016; Hawi and Samaha 2016;
Lian et al. 2016; Liu et al. 2017) remains tentative.
There is growing evidence identifying that adolescents
are at high risk for mobile phone addiction (He et al. 2012).
In the transitional period from childhood to adulthood,
adolescents experience rapid changes in physiological,
mental, and cognitive functions, and they are likely to
engage in a number of risky behaviors (e.g., substance use)
for exploration and emotional relief (Hessler and Katz
2010). With the sophistication and multi-functionality of
mobile phone technology, individuals have easy access to
communication, socialization, entertainment, and self-
presentation (Khang et al. 2013; Lian et al. 2016; Wang
et al. 2015). These features of mobile phone technology
might be avenues for adolescents’ exploration and risk
taking. In this context, adolescents show high rates of
dependence on mobile phones, and the incidence rate of
mobile phone addiction is substantial among adolescents
(Lopez-Fernandez et al. 2014; Soni et al. 2017). Research
from multiple countries indicated that the proportion of
addictive mobile phone users among adolescents was
beyond 30% (He et al. 2012). Under such severe circum-
stances, the harmful influences of mobile phone addiction
on adolescents’ intrapersonal development (e.g., anxiety,
depression) and interpersonal relationships (e.g., social
relationships with friends and teachers) have aroused
researchers’ common concern (Lee et al. 2016; Seo et al.
2016; Soni et al. 2017).
Overuse of mobile phones has been found to be asso-
ciated with a number of psychosocial adjustment problems,
including reduced mental health, poor work performance,
and interpersonal difficulties (He et al. 2012; Lepp et al.
2014; Merlo 2008). Among these unfavorable outcomes
associated with mobile phone addiction, anxiety and
depression have gained researchers’ increasing attention
(Chen et al. 2016; Merlo 2008). Specifically, addictive
mobile phone users generally experience great anxiety
owing to an overwhelming obligation to maintain social ties
via mobile phones (Lepp et al. 2014; Merlo 2008). Espe-
cially for individuals who are indulged in mobile phones as
a way of relieving their realistic problems, the avoidant
Journal of Child and Family Studies
coping style (i.e., mobile phone addiction) is likely to
reduce their social skills and aggravate the symptoms of
anxiety (Li et al. 2017). Chen et al. (2016) also revealed that
in comparison to non-addicts, mobile phone addicts were
more inclined to have interpersonal problems and experi-
ence social anxiety and depression. There is some evidence
that the relationship between mobile phone addiction and
mental health problems might be causal. A 3-year long-
itudinal study documented that mobile phone addiction in
8th grade was a significant predictor of depressive symp-
toms in 10th grade (Jun 2016).
The associations between mobile phone addiction and
mental health problems (e.g., anxiety and depression) may
be especially strong among adolescents. Specifically,
adolescents experience faster physiological growth but
slower psychological development in the transition per-
iod, which leads to relatively low levels of psychological
maturity. In addition, adolescents are exposed to com-
pounded stressors such as substantial stress from their
academic and daily lives (Bluth and Blanton 2014; Frison
and Eggermont 2015). These unfavorable internal (i.e.,
psychological immaturity) and external factors (i.e.,
exposure to multiple stressors) may intensify adolescents’
vulnerability to mental health problems when they are
confronted with negative experiences (e.g., mobile phone
addiction).
Although there is considerable research on the links
between mobile phone addiction and mental health pro-
blems (Chen et al. 2016; Jun 2016; Lepp et al. 2014; Merlo
2008), there is little research on factors that might lessen or
amplify these associations (i.e., moderation). That is, it
remains unclear under what conditions mobile phone
addiction is associated with anxiety and depression or when
the relations between mobile phone addiction and anxiety
and depression are more potent. According to diathesis-
stress theories (Monroe and Simons 1991), individuals with
certain traits will react differently to stressful events and
negative experiences, and thus the effects of stress and
adversity may vary from person to person. Given that
mobile phone addiction is characterized in part by unplea-
sant psychological experience (e.g., craving, loss of control)
and generally contributes to unfavorable consequences
(Chen et al. 2016; Kim et al. 2015; Lepp et al. 2014), it can
be considered as a stressful condition or negative experience
for individuals. However, it is possible that not all people
are equally influenced by mobile phone addiction, and
personality is one factor that may be associated with such
inter-individual variability in the effects of mobile phone
addiction on mental health. Therefore, it is of great impor-
tance to investigate the personality traits that are conducive
to alleviating the potential effects of mobile phone addiction
on adolescent’ anxiety and depression.
Journal of Child and Family Studies
Mindfulness is a personality trait that has been identified
as a significant protective factor against external stress or
adversity (Calvete et al. 2017; Dixon and Overall 2016;
Zhou et al. 2017). Mindfulness refers to a conscious mental
state characterized by focusing on present-moment experi-
ences (including internal and external stimuli) without
judgement or reaction (Brown and Ryan 2003; Kabat-Zinn
2003). Some researchers suggest that mindfulness can be
defined as a personality trait referring to the inclination to be
mindful in everyday life (Bao et al. 2015; Brown and Ryan
2003). That is, mindfulness typically represents individuals’
tendency to be in a mindful state across time and situation
(Quaglia et al. 2015).
The re-perceiving model of mindfulness posits that
through mindfulness practice, people are able to shift their
attention away from troubling thoughts or feelings by
attending to moment-by-moment experience with greater
objectivity and awareness (Shapiro et al. 2006). Mind-
fulness practice may also facilitate more flexible and
adaptive responses to stressful events in contrast to the
automatic behavioral patterns or rigid emotional reactions
(Chen et al. 2011; Shapiro et al. 2006). Furthermore,
higher levels of trait mindfulness may make it easier to
develop the capability of re-perceiving, resulting in less
psychological distress in response to negative experiences
(Harnett et al. 2016; Uusberg et al. 2016). In addition,
according to the stress-buffering hypothesis (Cohen and
Edwards 1989), such psychological resiliency factors as
mindfulness play important roles in buffering the adverse
impacts of stress. The mindfulness stress-buffering
hypothesis further postulates that mindfulness can
attenuate the negative reactions to stress or adversity and
mitigate the detrimental impacts of stress on mental health
outcomes (Bergin and Pakenham 2016; Dixon and
Overall 2016). Therefore, mindfulness may attenuate the
links between negative factors (e.g., mobile phone
addiction) and individuals’ mental health outcomes (e.g.,
anxiety, depression).
A substantial body of empirical research has confirmed
that mindfulness benefits psychological and social adaption.
For instance, high levels of mindfulness are associated with
increased self-esteem, psychological resilience, positive
affect, and life satisfaction (Bajaj and Pande 2016; Bluth
and Blanton 2014; Brown and Ryan 2003), and increases in
mindfulness are related to declines in stress, anxiety,
depression, and other negative emotions (Bajaj et al. 2016).
A multitude of studies have further documented the mod-
erating role of mindfulness in the relations between negative
experiences and mental health. For instance, Bergin and
Pakenham (2016) identified mindfulness as a protective
factor in buffering the effect of perceived stress on
depression and anxiety. Dixon and Overall (2016) also
found that the association between routine stress and
depressed mood was alleviated for individuals with high
mindfulness. A study by Zhou et al. (2017) showed that the
relationship between bullying victimization and depression
became weaker with increases in mindfulness.
These findings all revealed the protective role of mind-
fulness in promoting more adaptive reactions to stress or
adversity. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect
mindfulness to act as a buffer that may alleviate the rela-
tions between mobile phone addiction and mental health
problems (i.e., anxiety, depression). Specifically, for indi-
viduals with high mindfulness, they may attend to such
adversities as mobile phone addiction with greater objec-
tivity and acceptance, and thus they may better respond to
and deal with the mental health problems associated with
mobile phone addiction.
The primary goal of the present research was to examine
the underlying processes that may moderate the associations
between mobile phone addiction and mental health. Speci-
fically, we hypothesized that mobile phone addiction would
be positively related to adolescents’ anxiety and depression.
Additionally, we assumed that mindfulness would moderate
the associations between mobile phone addiction and both
anxiety and depression, in that both associations would be
weak when mindfulness was high.
Method
Participants
The participants were recruited from one high school in
southern China. Firstly, convenience sampling was used to
select the target school. We then adopted cluster random
sampling to randomly choose six to eight classes in each
grade in the target school. A sample of 1258 high school
students completed the survey. In the sample, 672 were
males (53.42%) and 586 were females (46.58%). Partici-
pants were between 14 and 20 years old (Mage = 16.76;
SDage = .94), with only 0.4% being 20 years old and no 19
year olds. The 20 year olds were kept in the sample because
of shared social and academic context with the adolescents
in the standard age range.
Procedure
This research was approved by the Ethics Committee of
Psychological Research of the corresponding author’s
institution. Before data collection, informed consent was
obtained from the participants and their teachers. Well-
trained psychology graduate students conducted the survey
and informed the participants of the confidentiality of the
information collected and the principle of voluntary
participation.

Measures
Mobile phone addiction
The 17-item Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI; Leung
2008) was used to assess the tendency of mobile phone
addiction. The 17 items captured four dimensions of mobile
phone addiction, namely, “losing control and receiving
complaints,” “anxiety and craving,” “withdrawal/escape,”
and “productivity loss.” Example items include “Your
friends and family complained about your use of the mobile
phone” and “You find it difficult to switch off your mobile
phone”. Respondents rated each item on a five-point scale
ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (always). The sum of the 17
item scores (ranging from 17 to 85) was calculated, with
higher scores indicating a tendency towards greater mobile
phone addition. The scale showed good reliability and
validity in both college students and adolescents in China
(Deng et al. 2015; Leung 2008; Lian et al. 2016). In the
current study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .88.
Anxiety and depression
The Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress
Scale-21 (Gong et al. 2010) was developed based on the 21-
item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond
and Lovibond 1995). The scale consists of three 7-item
subscales (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress) which are
designed to assess the frequency of experiencing depres-
sion, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Example items
include “I felt that life was meaningless” (Depression), “I
felt I was close to panic” (Anxiety), and “I found myself
getting agitated” (Stress). Each item was rated on a four-
point scale ranging from 0 (does not apply to me) to 3
(applies to me very much or most of the time). Prior clinical
and empirical research found that depression and anxiety
were difficult to discriminate due to some common symp-
toms that the two constructs shared. On the DASS-21,
however, both exploratory and confirmatory approaches
have generally supported the three-factor structure of the
tool (Mellor et al. 2015; Sinclair et al. 2012; Wang et al.
2016), which means that depression, anxiety, and stress
measured by the DASS-21 are very different dimensions. In
addition, smaller inter-factor correlations among depression,
anxiety, and stress have been found in the DASS-21 than in
other scales (e.g., Sinclair et al. 2012; Wang et al. 2016).
Therefore, the DASS-21 can differentiate anxiety and
depression efficiently. In the current study, we utilized the
Anxiety subscale and the Depression subscale (each cal-
culated as the sum of 7 item scores, with subscale scores
ranging from 0 to 21). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of
the Anxiety and Depression subscales were .82 and .83,
respectively.
Journal of Child and Family Studies
Mindfulness
The Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM;
Greco et al. 2011) is an instrument for assessing trait
mindfulness. It was developed based on the Kentucky
Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (Baer et al. 2004). This
scale consists of 10 items (e.g., “It’s hard for me to pay
attention to only one thing at a time”; “I keep myself busy
so I don’t notice my thoughts and feelings”) measuring the
tendency for daily mindfulness in school-aged children and
adolescents. Each item was rated on a five-point scale
ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always). All of the items are
reversely scored. The sum of the 10 item scores (ranging
from 0 to 40) was calculated, with higher scores indicating
higher levels of mindfulness. The reliability and validity of
the scale have been validated in Chinese children aged
between 9 and 13 in a prior study (Zhou et al. 2017). In the
current study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .87.
Data analyses
To analyze the research data, we first used the software
SPSS 21.0 to conduct descriptive statistics and correlational
analyses. We then used the SPSS macro PROCESS sug-
gested by Hayes (2013) to further examine the moderating
role of mindfulness in the relations between mobile phone
addiction and both anxiety and depression. The PROCESS
macro is available to test multiple mediating and moderat-
ing models with the bias-corrected percentile bootstrap
method, and it has been used extensively in psychological
research (e.g., Li et al. 2016; van Strien et al. 2016; Zhou
et al. 2017). Considering that girls are more likely to be
affected by anxiety and depression than boys (Bender et al.
2012; Hankin et al. 2015), and the risk for mental health
problems such as anxiety and depression increases with age
among high school students (Luo et al. 2009), we controlled
for gender and grade in the analyses.
Results
The descriptive statistics and correlation matrix are dis-
played in Table 1. Correlation analyses indicated that
mobile phone addiction was negatively correlated with
mindfulness (r = −.27, p < .001) and positively correlated
with anxiety (r = .28, p < .001) and depression (r = −.33,
p < .001). Mindfulness was negatively correlated with
anxiety (r = −.32, p < .001) and depression (r = −.36,
p < .05). Anxiety and depression were positively inter-
related (r = .59, p < .001).
We predicted that mobile phone addiction would be
positively associated with anxiety and depression among
adolescents, but these relations would be moderated by
Journal of Child and Family Studies

mindfulness. That is, the relations between mobile phone clearly, a simple slope test for the relation between mobile
addiction and both anxiety and depression would be sig- phone addiction and anxiety at low and high levels of
nificantly weaker for adolescents with higher levels of mindfulness (1 SD below the mean and 1 SD above the
mindfulness. To test the above hypotheses, we conducted mean, respectively) was conducted (see Fig. 1). The results
moderation analyses using the PROCESS macro (Model 1) showed that for low mindfulness adolescents, higher levels
(Hayes 2013) with mindfulness as the moderator variable, of mobile phone addiction were linked to more severe
mobile phone addiction as the independent variable, and symptoms of anxiety (βsimple = .44, p < .05). By contrast, the
anxiety (or depression) as the dependent variable. link between mobile phone addiction and anxiety became
Table 2 presents the results regarding anxiety and weaker when adolescents had higher levels of mindfulness
depression. As the dependent variable model for anxiety (βsimple = .25, p < .05).
shows, after controlling for gender and grade, the effect of As the dependent variable model for depression shows,
mobile phone addiction on anxiety was significant (β = .19, after controlling for gender and grade, the effect of mobile
p < .001), and the interaction of mobile phone addiction and phone addiction on depression was significant (β = .22,
mindfulness also had a significant association with anxiety p < .001), and the interaction of mobile phone addiction and
(β = −.11, p < .001). These findings indicated that mind- mindfulness also had a significant association with depres-
fulness moderated the association between mobile phone sion (β = −.10, p < .001). Therefore, mindfulness moder-
addiction and anxiety. To present the interaction effect more ated the association between mobile phone addiction and
depression. To present the interaction effect more clearly, a
Table 1 Means, standard deviations, and correlations of the variables simple slope test for the relation between mobile phone
of interest
addiction and depression at low and high levels of mind-
Variable M SD 1 2 3 4 fulness (1 SD below the mean and 1 SD above the mean,
respectively) was conducted (see Fig. 2). The results
Mobile phone addiction 39.46 12.22 1
showed that for low mindfulness adolescents, higher levels
Mindfulness 23.02 8.02 −.27*** 1
of mobile phone addiction were linked to more severe
Anxiety 5.21 4.11 .28*** −.32*** 1
symptoms of depression (βsimple = .51, p < .05), whereas the
Depression 4.99 4.17 .33*** −.36* .59*** 1
link between mobile phone addiction and depression
N = 1258 became weaker when adolescents had higher levels of
M Mean, SD standard deviation mindfulness (βsimple = .37, p < .05).
*
p < .05
***
p < .001

Table 2 Moderating effect of

β BootLLCI BootULCI t R2 F value
mindfulness on the relation
between mobile phone addiction Dependent variable anxiety
and anxiety (and depression)
Predictors .17 31.63***
*
Gender .11 .01 .21 2.08
Grade .04 −.02 .10 1.24
Mobile phone addiction .19 .12 .26 5.32***
Mindfulness −.29 −.36 −.21 −7.52***
Mobile phone addiction × Mindfulness −.11 −.17 −.04 −3.24***
Dependent variable depression
Predictors .21 46.98***
Gender −.04 −.14 .06 −0.79
Grade .04 −.03 .10 1.11
Mobile phone addiction .22 .15 .30 5.81***
Mindfulness −.32 −.40 −.24 −7.99***
Mobile phone addiction × Mindfulness −.10 −.17 −.03 −2.78***
N = 1258. Bootstrap sample size = 5000
LL low limit, CI confidence interval, UL upper limit
*
p < .05
***
p < .001

Fig. 1 The moderating role of mindfulness in the association between
mobile phone addiction and anxiety. The moderating effect is graphed
for two levels of mindfulness: (1) high mindfulness (1 SD above the
mean) and (2) low mindfulness (1 SD below the mean)
Fig. 2 The moderating role of mindfulness in the association between
mobile phone addiction and depression. The moderating effect is
graphed for two levels of mindfulness: (1) high mindfulness (1 SD
above the mean) and (2) low mindfulness (1 SD below the mean)
Discussion
Previous research has provided evidence of the associations
between mobile phone addiction and mental health out-
comes (e.g., anxiety, depression). This study extends pre-
vious research by investigating the underlying mechanism
that moderates the relations between mobile phone addic-
tion and anxiety and depression. That is, the present
research documents that mindfulness can buffer adolescents
from some of the negative consequences of mobile phone
addiction, which is important to understand the relationship
between mobile phone addiction and adolescents’ mental
Journal of Child and Family Studies
health. In addition, our findings not only coincide with the
theories such as the re-perceiving model of mindfulness and
the mindfulness stress-buffering hypothesis but also help
promote the application of these theories in the mobile
Internet era.
Correlation analyses revealed that mobile phone addic-
tion was negatively related to mindfulness, which is con-
sistent with prior research documenting that mindfulness
could alleviate individuals’ dependency on mobile phones
and the Internet (e.g., Arslan 2017; Kim 2013). Mindfulness
can help individuals attend to the present-moment experi-
ence with intention and without identification, which helps
enhance their tolerance towards uncomfortable states such
as psychological craving (Kabat-Zinn 2003; Shapiro et al.
2006). Thus, highly mindful adolescents are less inclined to
be indulged in mobile phone use than those with low levels
of mindfulness. Moreover, the negative relations between
mindfulness and both anxiety and depression also con-
firmed the beneficial effects of mindfulness on people’s
mental health (Bajaj and Pande 2016; Bajaj et al. 2016;
Bluth and Blanton 2014).
The findings also suggest that adolescents with greater
mobile phone addiction tend to experience greater symp-
toms of anxiety and depression. According to social cog-
nitive theory (Bandura 1986), there exists a reciprocal
association between individuals’ behaviors and their emo-
tions; that is, behaviors act as both the prerequisite and
outcome of emotions. Therefore, mobile phone addiction
may be closely linked to adolescents’ emotional and mental
health. Specifically, mobile phone addiction is a risk factor
not only for health hazards such as sleep disturbance (Liu
et al. 2017; Thomée et al. 2011), but also for social mal-
adjustment such as poor academic performance, perceived
stress, and interpersonal problems (Hawi and Samaha 2016;
Merlo 2008; Samaha and Hawi 2016). All of these stressors
may lead to worry and rumination, which further relates to
anxiety and depression in adolescents (Young and Dietrich
2015).
Moreover, the results provide support for the moderating
role of mindfulness in the associations between mobile
phone addiction and both anxiety and depression in ado-
lescents, with these associations being weaker among
highly mindful adolescents than those with low mind-
fulness. These findings coincide with diathesis-stress the-
ories (Monroe and Simons 1991), which suggests that
people with different traits (e.g., mindfulness) would
respond to the same negative experiences (e.g., mobile
phone addiction) quite differently. Furthermore, the current
study confirmed the protective role of mindfulness against
adversity (Dixon and Overall 2016; Liu et al. 2017), which
lends support to the mindfulness stress buffering hypothesis
(Bergin and Pakenham 2016; Dixon and Overall 2016). A
key component of mindfulness is re-perceiving. Re-
Journal of Child and Family Studies
perceiving can help people attend to moment-by-moment
conditions with more objectivity, which decreases reflexive
reactions and promotes more openness and acceptance to
the present situation (Shapiro et al. 2006). In general,
mindfulness represents an intensive mental state of focusing
on the present moment with awareness and acceptance,
which is beneficial to shift one’s attention from the past and
future to the present moment experience (Bajaj and Pande
2016; Kabat-Zinn 2003). Therefore, adolescents with high
levels of mindfulness are not obsessed with ruminative
regret or worry related to mobile phone addiction. They
may realistically accept their situation and feelings, which
in turn reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. In
addition, mindfulness can help people better respond to
psychological distress rather than reacting in a maladaptive
or overindulging manner (Bajaj and Pande 2016; Roemer
et al. 2015). Thus, adolescents with high mindfulness may
be more capable of addressing the mental health problems
associated with mobile phone addiction. Mindfulness can
also promote self-development in various aspects such as
enhancing self-esteem, resilience, hope, and optimism
(Bajaj and Pande 2016; Bajaj et al. 2016; Malinowski and
Hui 2015). These are all vital psychological resources that
contribute to mitigating the effects of adversity. Therefore,
adolescents with high mindfulness generally hold positive
and hopeful attitudes toward themselves and the future, and
they can better cope with mobile phone addiction and the
resulting mental distress, like anxiety and depression.
Limitations
There are some limitations worth noting when interpreting
the results. First, despite the fact that we conducted our
research based on related theories and empirical studies, we
still cannot confirm the causal associations among the study
variables due to the cross-sectional design of the research.
Empirical research indicated that adolescent mobile phone
addiction had a harmful effect on depressive symptoms, and
the symptoms of depression also increased the levels of
mobile phone addiction (Jun 2016). Therefore, studies that
utilize longitudinal or experimental designs are needed to
further examine the relationships among the variables of
interest.
Second, since we conducted the research in a community
sample and did not include a clinical group, the results may
be only generalizable to other community samples. In
addition, given that our research was conducted in a sample
of high school students from a single high school, the
generalizability of these findings is limited. Therefore,
future research should recruit a more diverse sample of
participants and further compare the constructed model in
clinical and nonclinical samples.
Third, our study tested trait mindfulness as a potential
moderator in the associations between mobile phone
addiction and adolescents’ anxiety and depression. Future
studies should further examine whether cultivated mind-
fulness through intervention training (e.g., Mindfulness-
Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive
Therapy) and daily practice can attenuate the link between
mobile phone addiction and mental health problems.
Finally, we highlighted the high incidence of mobile
phone addiction and high vulnerability to mental health
problems in adolescents, but we did not examine the effect
of adolescent developmental stage (i.e., adolescence) on
their addictive mobile phone use and the related mental
health problems. Future research can further investigate the
impact of adolescence on adolescents’ use of mobile phones
and their mental health to deepen our understanding of this
age group.
In spite of these limitations, our findings shed light on
when mobile phone addiction is associated with anxiety and
depression in adolescents (i.e., moderation). Mobile phone
addiction has been identified as a salient risk factor for
adolescents’ anxiety and depression, and achieving mind-
fulness may attenuate the effects of mobile phone addiction
on adolescents’ mental health problems.
Acknowledgements This study was supported by Major Program of
National Social Science Foundation of China (11&ZD151), and
Research Program Funds of the Collaborative Innovation Center of
Assessment toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal Uni-
versity (2019-04-003-BZPK01). We would like to express our deep
gratitude to Yunbo Liu for her contribution to our research.
Author contributions X.Y. designed and executed the study, and
wrote the paper. Z.Z. collaborated with the design and writing of the
study. Q.L. analyzed the data and collaborated with the writing of the
study. C.F. collaborated in the writing and editing of the final
manuscript.
Compliance with ethical standards
Ethical approval All procedures performed in our study involving
human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of
the institutional (Central China Normal University) and/or national
research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later
amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed consent Informed consent was obtained from all individual
participants included in the study.
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.
Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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