ABSTRACT
Risk factors for problematic smartphone use (PSU) have rapidly become an important area of research due to the prevalence of smartphones and functional impairment associated with PSU. Our aim was to examine anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a mediating variable between both depression and anxiety with PSU severity. Participants (N = 4,752) from junior and senior high schools in Tianjin, China completed a web-based survey with measures of depression, anxiety, AS, and PSU. Inferential analyses revealed significant differences between males and females on PSU severity (η=.02). Results of structural equation modeling indicated good model fit (CFI=.956;TLI=.954;RMSEA = .05), and that anxiety was positively associated with AS when adjusting for depression (β = .951, S.E. = .043);and AS was significantly associated with greater PSU severity, adjusting for age and sex (β = .474, S.E. = .013). Additionally, AS mediated relations between anxiety and PSU severity (β = .451, S.E. = .024). Current findings are consistent with theoretical models of problematic internet use (I-PACE) and previous research linking AS to other kinds of behavioral addictions (e.g., smoking, alcohol use).