Liezille Jacobs^*, Miché Adolph

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.35, No.6, pp. 761-769, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2025.065787 - 30 December 2025

Abstract This scoping review aimed to synthesise literature on problematic internet use and substance use disorder, including how they affect men, given that prior research has predominantly focused on women. The search included Web of Science, Psych Info, Science Direct, and Scopus spanning over the period 2014–2023. Studies were included for the review if they focused on Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) among men, were peer-reviewed, and were written in English. Opinions, discussions, and theoretical papers were excluded. Sixteen studies were included in this review. Data were synthesised through thematic analysis. Emergent More >

Hua Pang^*, Xiaoyi Jin

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.11, pp. 1709-1728, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.070803 - 28 November 2025

Abstract Background: Live streaming has become a globally prevalent form of digital entertainment, particularly among young audiences, fostering new modes of online engagement through real-time interaction. However, excessive use may lead to addictive behaviors in certain users. Current research on live-streaming addiction remains limited, with prior studies focusing primarily on socio-psychological drivers rather than the role of technological affordances. To address this gap, this study develops a conceptual model based on socio-technical systems and attachment theory to investigate how emotional and functional attachment mediate the relationship between platform features and addictive behavior. Methods: A total of 533… More >

Zhi-Yun Zhang^1,*, Yaqiong Wu¹, Chenshi Deng², Peng Wang³, Weiguaju Nong^4,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.10, pp. 1533-1551, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.070883 - 31 October 2025

Abstract Objectives: Medical students often rely on recreational internet media to relieve the stress caused by immense academic and life pressures, and among these media, short-form videos, which are an emerging digital medium, have gradually become the mainstream choice of students to relieve their stress. However, the addiction caused by their usage has attracted the widespread attention of both academia and society, which is why the purpose of this study is to systematically explore the underlying mechanisms that link perceived stress, entertainment gratification, emotional gratification, short-form video usage intensity, and short-form video addiction based on multiple… More >

Shijie Li¹, Yongliang Wang^2,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.9, pp. 1335-1351, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.067246 - 30 September 2025

Abstract Background: Recent years have witnessed the rapid rise of TikTok, a short-video social platform, which has sparked concerns about its potential for misuse and addiction. TikTok addiction has been associated with various psychological and social issues. This study aims to explore the mediating role of social ostracism in the relationship between the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Narcissism) and TikTok addiction. Methods: Data were collected from 425 Chinese college students through convenience sampling, using three validated scales: the Dirty Dozen, the Social Ostracism Scale, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)… More >

Alican Kaya¹, Emre Seyrek², Abdulselami Sarıgül³, Mehmet Şata⁴, Juan Gómez-Salgado^5,6,*, Murat Yıldırım^7,8,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.8, pp. 1149-1163, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.067388 - 29 August 2025

Abstract Background: Social media addiction, one of the behavioural addictions, is a significant predictor of job performance. It has also been posited that individuals whose fundamental requirements (e.g., sleep) are not sufficiently met and who lack adequate support (e.g., perceived social support) are incapable of effectively harnessing their potential. The primary objective of this study is to examine the mediating effects of sleep disorder and perceived social support on the relationship between social media addiction and job performance. Furthermore, it seeks to explore the moderating effects of perceived social support on sleep disorders and job performance.… More >

Jian-Hong Ye^1,2,#, Yongjian Wang^1,#, Weiguaju Nong^3,*, Jhen-Ni Ye⁴, Yuting Cui⁵

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.7, pp. 995-1012, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.066326 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Objectives: The addiction of the student population to short-form video platforms such as TikTok (Douyin) is becoming increasingly apparent and is rapidly expanding. This emerging addiction is also believed to have negative impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. Consequently, video addiction has become an important public health issue on campuses around the world. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between two types of TikTok addiction (video and live streaming) and social and emotional learning (SEL), including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Methods: Previous research has indicated that… More >

Lin Luo^1,2,*, Junfeng Yuan¹, Yanling Wang¹, Rui Zhu¹, Huilin Xu¹, Siyuan Bi¹, Zhongge Zhang¹

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.6, pp. 863-876, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.064385 - 30 June 2025

Abstract Objectives: Social Network Addiction (SNA) is becoming increasingly prevalent among college students; however, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the measurement tools and their optimal cutoff score. This study aims to validate the 21-item Social Network Addiction Scale-Chinese (SNAS-C) in its Chinese version and to determine its optimal cutoff score for identifying potential SNA cases within the college student population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, recruiting 3387 college students. Latent profile analysis (LPA) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were employed to establish the optimal cutoff score for the validated 21-item SNAS-C. Results:… More >

Lihua Zuo^1,2,#, Jian Mao^2,#,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 241-247, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2025.065765 - 30 June 2025

Abstract This study examined how social desirability responses confound the relationship between gender and social media addiction. A total of 496 college student social media users (females = 310, 62.5%, mean age = 20.15, SD = 1.26) completed an online questionnaire on Social Media Addiction and Social Desirability. Mediation analysis revealed that females were at higher risk for social media addiction. On the other hand, the indirect effect of gender on social media addiction via social desirability is associated with lower social media addiction, which suggests that social desirability had a suppression effect on social media More >

Jian-Hong Ye^1,2, Junpeng Zheng³, Weiguaju Nong⁴, Xiantong Yang^5,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.3, pp. 271-286, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059929 - 31 March 2025

Abstract Objectives: Short video addiction has emerged as a significant public health issue in recent years, with a growing trend toward severity. However, research on the causes and impacts of short video addiction remains limited, and understanding of the variable “TikTok brain” is still in its infancy. Therefore, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Behavior-Consequence (SOBC) framework, we proposed six research hypotheses and constructed a model to explore the relationships between short video usage intensity, TikTok brain, short video addiction, and decreased attention control. Methods: Given that students are considered a high-risk group for excessive short video use, we… More >

Xiaowen Wan¹, Wenbin Sheng¹, Rong Huang¹, Cheng Zeng¹, Xu Zhou^2,*, Yuan Wu³, Xiaohui Cao¹, Xiaoke Chen¹

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 215-229, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059074 - 03 March 2025

Abstract Background: 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). Methods: 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… More >