Examining the Link Between Problematic Smartphone Use and Substance Use Disorders Among College Students: Association Patterns Using Network Analysis
This study examines the interplay between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and substance use disorders (SUDs) among Brazilian college students, also addressing associated emotional distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress). A total of 3130 students (M_age = 23.6; SD_age = 5.34) participated in an online survey featuring validated measures for assessing PSU, alcohol and drug consumption, and emotional distress. Participants were categorized into problematic smartphone use (PSU) and non-problematic use (nPSU) groups. The prevalence of PSU was 46.9%, notably higher among female students, those lacking a religious affiliation, individuals living alone, and the unemployed. PSU individuals showed significantly elevated rates of alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit substance use, along with greater emotional distress. Network analysis revealed that weekly alcohol consumption and stress symptoms exhibited the highest centrality indices (e.g., stress with high betweenness; alcohol with strong expected influence), underscoring their key roles in connecting PSU and SUDs. These findings suggest that PSU and SUDs may share underlying emotional vulnerabilities, highlighting the need for integrated intervention strategies targeting both conditions concurrently.
Authors
- André Luiz Monezi Andrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0111-8935)
- Cláudio Romualdo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1611-3195)
- Adriana Scatena (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4034-1251)
- Hyoun S. Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0804-0256)
- Lúcio Garcia de Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9805-8347)
- Makilim Nunes Baptista (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-254X)
- Laura Soares da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2726-4842)
- Denise De Micheli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8546-4354)
- Wanderlei Abadio de Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3146-8197)
- Évelin Moreira Freires (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3754-5270)
- Amanda Severo Lins Vitta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8993-6652)
- Fernando Ferreira Semolini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9458-1111)
Institutions
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR)
- Fundação do ABC (BR)
- Toronto Metropolitan University (CA)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (BR)
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (BR)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Published
- 2025-06-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22070973
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.40
Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Faculdade de Medicina do ABC