Psychological distress among university student Facebook users: the roles of fear of missing out, Facebook use intensity, and Facebook addiction

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among university student Facebook users and evaluate the mediating effect of Facebook addiction (FBA) in the links between Facebook usage intensity (FBI) and PD, and between fear of missing out (FOMO) and PD among university student Facebook users in Vietnam. The research was conducted with 1534 university students from Thai Nguyen University and Danang University. Participants filled out a questionnaire measuring FBI, FOMO, FBA, and PD. The analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS 20 and Smart PLS 3.9. The results indicated that 91.0% of university student Facebook users experience PD. Structural equation modeling revealed that FBA partially mediates the relationships between FOMO and PD, and between FBI and PD among university student Facebook users. These findings suggest the necessity of measures to improve mental health for university student Facebook users in Vietnam. More importantly, the study's findings are useful for psychological counselors and public health policymakers.