Alexithymia and Mobile Phone Addiction Among College Students With and Without Siblings: a Moderated Mediation of Depression and Gender

This study aims to examine moderated mediation of depression and gender on the relationship between alexithymia and mobile phone addiction, also compares the differences between only child and non-only child. A total of 1049 college students from a university in Jilin Province were recruited for this study. All participants were asked to complete questionnaires regarding depression, alexithymia, and mobile phone addiction. This study indicated that alexithymia could predict mobile phone addiction directly and also indirectly via depression; gender moderated the first part of the mediating part (i.e., the link from alexithymia to depression) for the only child, but not the non-only child. Moreover, the moderated mediating effect was stronger for males than females among the only child. Although it is generally believed that females belong to vulnerable groups in life, this study suggested that we should also pay more attention to male only child, reduce their pressure, and improve their mental health.