Is the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and mental health problems mediated by fear of missing out and escapism?

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with problematic mobile phone use often report mental health problems, however, little is known about factors which mediate this association. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) and escapism in an attempt to explain the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and mental health problems. METHOD: A total of 235 undergraduate students in Turkey participated in this study. These participants completed a set of questionnaires to measure fear of missing out, problematic mobile phone use, escapism, depression, anxiety, stress, and worry severity. RESULTS: Participants with a high level of problematic mobile phone use also had a high level of mental health problems, FoMO, and escapism. The association between problematic mobile phone use and mental health problems was not mediated by FoMO and escapism. CONCLUSION: Personal characteristics such as emotional regulation and self-regulation need to be examined in future studies in order to determine their potential mediating role in explaining the association between problematic mobile phone use and mental health problems.

Stigmatization of people with alcohol and drug addiction among Turkish undergraduate students.

INTRODUCTION: Stigmatization of people with substance use problems have been reported to be high among young adults in Western countries. It is not clear if this finding could be replicated among emerging adults in non-Western countries. Thus, the aim of this study was to firstly explore stigmatizing attitudes of undergraduate students in Turkey towards people with alcohol, marijuana and heroin addiction, and then test a mediation model to explain stigmatizing attitudes among college students. METHOD: A total of 513 undergraduate students participated in the study. They completed a set of questionnaires to measure perceived stigma towards substance use, perceived danger and feeling fearful towards people with substance addiction (i.e., alcohol, heroin, marijuana), and a willingness to engage in relationships with people who are addicted to these three substances. RESULTS: Females, compared to males, reported being more fearful of people who are addicted to alcohol, marijuana and heroin. Younger compared to older participants perceived people who are addicted to these substances as more dangerous. Younger participants also had higher social distance towards people who are addicted to alcohol and marijuana than older participants. Perceived dangerousness and fearfulness partially mediated the relationship between perceived stigma and social distance in alcohol, marijuana and heroin. CONCLUSION: Research findings may help determine potential correlates of stigmatizing attitudes as well as developing models to explain stigmatizing attitudes among Turkish college students.