Relationship Between Alexithymia and Mobile Phone Addiction with an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Anxiety, Stress, and Depression: A Structural Model Analysis

Abstract

Background: Since the beginning of mobile phone addiction, alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress have been mentioned as complications of Internet addiction in various studies; however, the relationship between these variables has not been well investigated. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and mobile phone addiction, emphasizing the mediating role of anxiety, stress, and depression. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 412 students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, were included using an available sampling method in 2019. Data collection tools were the demographic questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software (version 22) and Amos software (version 16). A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered. Results: Alexithymia was a predictive factor for mobile phone addiction. Additionally, it had a direct and significant effect on depression (β = 0.540, P < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.500, P < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.53, P < 0.001). Depression (β = 0.452, P < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.408, P < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.460, P < 0.001) had a positive and significant effect on cell phone addiction. Conclusions: In this study, alexithymia was a predictive factor for mobile phone addiction. Moreover, the variables of depression, anxiety, and stress play the role of a relative mediating variable between alexithymia and mobile addiction.