TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wan, Xiaowen 
AU  - Sheng, Wenbin 
AU  - Huang, Rong 
AU  - Zeng, Cheng 
AU  - Zhou, Xu 
AU  - Wu, Yuan 
AU  - Cao, Xiaohui 
AU  - Chen, Xiaoke 

TI  - Relationship between Psychological Security and Fear of Missing Out among University Students: A Moderated Mediation Model
T2  - International Journal of Mental Health Promotion

PY  - 2025
VL  - 27
IS  - 2
SN  - 2049-8543

AB  -  <b>Background:</b> As the digital age progresses, fear of missing out (FoMO) is becoming increasingly common, and the impact factor of FOMO needs to be further investigated. This study aims to explore the relationship between psychological security (PS) and FoMO by analyzing the mediating role of social networking addiction (SNA) and the moderating role of social self-efficacy (SSE). <b>Methods:</b> We collected a sample of 1181 college students (with a mean age of 19.67 ± 1.38 years) from five universities in a province of mainland China through cluster sampling. Data were gathered using the psychological security questionnaire (PSQ), the FoMO scale, the SNA scale, and the perceived social self-efficacy (PSSE) scale. Data analysis employed independent-sample <i>t</i>-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Harman’s single-factor test, confirmatory factor analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. <b>Results:</b> The results of the mediation model and moderated mediation model analyses showed the following key findings: (1) PS is significantly negatively correlated with FoMO; (2) SNA mediates the relationship between PS and FoMO; (3) SSE positively moderates the relationship between PS and FoMO; and (4) SSE also positively moderates the relationship between PS and SNA. <b>Conclusion:</b> University students’ PS not only directly impacts FoMO but also indirectly influences it through SNA. Additionally, SSE positively moderates both the direct path and the first half of the mediation path, indicating that enhancing students’ PS and SSE can help alleviate their SNA and FoMO, promoting their psychological and behavioral well-being.
KW  - College student; fear of missing out; psychological security; social networking addiction; social self-efficacy

DO  - 10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059074