Adolescent neuroticism and short-form video overuse: the mediating roles of depression and anxiety.

Background: This research examined the association between neuroticism and short-form video overuse (SVO) among adolescents, with particular attention to the mediating roles of depression and anxiety. Methods: A total of 885 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years completed the Brief Big Five Personality Inventory, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the Short-Form Video Overuse Questionnaire. Based on questionnaire screening, 236 adolescents met the SVO screening criterion and were included in the primary analyses. The same mediation models were also examined in the full sample as supplementary analyses. Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and PROCESS Model 6 were used to test the proposed mediation pathways. Results: Neuroticism was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and SVO. Mediation analyses showed that the association between neuroticism and SVO was significant through anxiety alone and through the sequential pathway of depression to anxiety, whereas the indirect pathway through depression alone was not significant. In contrast, the sequential pathway of anxiety and depression was not supported. Conclusion: The findings suggest that depression and anxiety may play different roles in the association between neuroticism and adolescent SVO. In particular, anxiety appeared to be the more proximal emotional factor, whereas depression may contribute more indirectly through its association with anxiety. These results provide a more refined understanding of the emotional processes associated with adolescent SVO and may help inform more targeted prevention and intervention efforts.