Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Mobile Phone Dependency and Academic Burnout in Middle and High School Students

Miao Wang¹, Menglin Zhao¹, Dangyang Ma¹, Xinyu Ji¹, Donghe Li², Zhansheng Xu^1,3,4,*

1 Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China
2 Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, No. 988 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Jiaozuo, 454003, China
3 Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China
4 Center of Cooperative Innovation for Assessment and Promotion of National Mental Health under the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China

* Corresponding Author: Zhansheng Xu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mental Health and Subjective Well-being of Students: New Perspectives in Theory and Practice)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(8), 1165-1180. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.067133

Received 25 April 2025; Accepted 31 July 2025; Issue published 29 August 2025

Abstract

Background: With the proliferation of smartphones, adolescent mobile phone dependency has intensified, potentially precipitating academic burnout and other adverse outcomes among students. Contemporary study mostly examines college populations, resulting in a lack of exploration on the internal mechanisms connecting mobile phone dependency to academic burnout. In addition to analysing the chain-mediated effects of sleep quality and cognitive flexibility, this study sought to provide theoretical insights for prevention by applying the Conservation of Resources theory to examine the relationship between academic burnout and mobile phone dependency among middle and high school students. Methods: A cluster convenience sampling approach was adopted. Data were collected from 811 middle and high school students in Tianjin, China, using a paper-based questionnaire battery comprising the Mobile Phone Addiction Index, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, and the Adolescent Academic Burnout Scale. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Chain mediation effects were examined via the PROCESS macro, with significance assessed using bias-corrected bootstrap 95% confidence intervals. Results: A statistically significant positive link exists between mobile phone dependency and academic burnout among middle and high school students (r = 0.575, p < 0.001). Dependence on mobile phones had a substantial direct impact on academic burnout (β = 0.303, p < 0.001). Chain mediation analysis revealed that mobile phone dependency had a substantial direct impact on academic burnout (β = 0.303, p < 0.001). Sleep quality and cognitive flexibility mediated the link between mobile phone dependency and academic burnout. These indirect pathways represent 44.18% of the total effect. Conclusions: Mobile phone dependency contributes to academic burnout among middle and high school students, mediated sequentially by sleep quality and cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest a potential intervention strategy to mitigate academic burnout by targeting excessive mobile phone use, enhancing sleep hygiene, and implementing cognitive flexibility training.

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Keywords

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