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The Matthew Effect in Recovery from Smartphone Addiction in a 6-Month Longitudinal Study of Children and Adolescents

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  • Seung-Yup Lee

    (Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03312, Korea)

  • Hae Kook Lee

    (Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea)

  • Jung-Seok Choi

    (Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul 07061, Korea)

  • Soo-young Bang

    (Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Seoul 01830, Korea)

  • Min-Hyeon Park

    (Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03312, Korea)

  • Kyu-In Jung

    (Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03312, Korea)

  • Yong-Sil Kweon

    (Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea)

Abstract

The clinical course of problematic smartphone use (PSU) remains largely unknown due to a lack of longitudinal studies. We recruited 193 subjects with smartphone addiction problems for the present study. After providing informed consent, the subjects completed surveys and underwent comprehensive interviews regarding smartphone usage. A total of 56 subjects among the 193 initially recruited subjects were followed up for six months. We compared baseline characteristics between persistent addicted users and recovered users at the end of the 6-month follow-up. Persistent problematic smartphone users displayed higher baseline smartphone addiction severity and were more prone to develop mental health problems at the follow-up. However, baseline depressive or anxiety status did not significantly influence the course of PSU. PSU behaved more like an addictive disorder rather than a secondary psychiatric disorder. Harm avoidance, impulsivity, higher Internet use, and less conversation time with mothers were identified as poor prognostic factors in PSU. Lower quality of life, low perceived happiness, and goal instability also contributed to persistent PSU, while recovery increased these scores as well as measures of self-esteem. These findings suggest that the Matthew effect is found in the recovery of PSU with better premorbid psychosocial adjustment leading to a more successful recovery. Greater clinical resources are required for interventions in vulnerable populations to modify the course of this increasingly prevalent problematic behavior worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • Seung-Yup Lee & Hae Kook Lee & Jung-Seok Choi & Soo-young Bang & Min-Hyeon Park & Kyu-In Jung & Yong-Sil Kweon, 2020. "The Matthew Effect in Recovery from Smartphone Addiction in a 6-Month Longitudinal Study of Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:13:p:4751-:d:379214
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ningyuan Guo & Tzu Tsun Luk & Sai Yin Ho & Jung Jae Lee & Chen Shen & John Oliffe & Sophia Siu-Chee Chan & Tai Hing Lam & Man Ping Wang, 2020. "Problematic Smartphone Use and Mental Health in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-10, January.
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    3. Yeon-Jin Kim & Hye Min Jang & Youngjo Lee & Donghwan Lee & Dai-Jin Kim, 2018. "Effects of Internet and Smartphone Addictions on Depression and Anxiety Based on Propensity Score Matching Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-10, April.
    4. Sheila Yu & Steve Sussman, 2020. "Does Smartphone Addiction Fall on a Continuum of Addictive Behaviors?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Andrea Guazzini & Mirko Duradoni & Ambra Capelli & Patrizia Meringolo, 2019. "An Explorative Model to Assess Individuals’ Phubbing Risk," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, January.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Olatz Lopez-Fernandez, 2021. "Emerging Health and Education Issues Related to Internet Technologies and Addictive Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Eun Jee Lee & Hee Sun Kim, 2021. "Effect of Maternal Factors on Problematic Smartphone Use among Elementary School Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-11, August.
    4. Meredith E. David & James A. Roberts, 2020. "Developing and Testing a Scale Designed to Measure Perceived Phubbing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Wen-Jiun Chou & Ray C. Hsiao & Cheng-Fang Yen, 2022. "Parental Efficacy in Managing Smartphone Use of Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Parental and Adolescent Related Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-10, August.
    6. Shin-Il Lim & Sookyung Jeong, 2022. "The Relationship between Korean Parents’ Smartphone Addiction and That of Their Children: The Mediating Effects of Children’s Depression and Social Withdrawal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-12, May.

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