Nomophobia in mothers of children with ADHD: associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms

BACKGROUND: Mothers of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may experience increased psychological distress, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Nomophobia, defined as the fear of being without access to a mobile phone, has been increasingly associated with such distress. However, the relationship between nomophobia and psychological symptoms in this population remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between nomophobia, anxiety, and depression in mothers of children with ADHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 89 mothers, including 41 mothers of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who presented to Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University and 48 mothers whose children had no psychiatric disorders. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis and completed a sociodemographic data form, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: Mothers of children with ADHD had higher nomophobia, anxiety, and depression scores compared to controls; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Nomophobia scores were positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.29, p = 0.01) and depression (r = 0.48, p < 0.001). In mothers of children with ADHD, significant correlations were found between nomophobia and anxiety (r = 0.34, p = 0.03) and between nomophobia and depression (r = 0.51, p = 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, depression was identified as a significant predictor of nomophobia (R² = 0.35, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that nomophobia in mothers of children with ADHD is associated with both anxiety and depressive symptoms, with a stronger association observed for depressive symptoms. Although no significant difference in nomophobia levels was found between groups, the association between nomophobia and increased psychological burden is noteworthy. The findings suggest that nomophobia may serve as a potential indicator in the assessment of parental mental health, particularly underlying depressive symptoms; however, larger-sample, longitudinal, and multicenter studies are needed to establish causal relationships and to develop recommendations for clinical practice.