The impact of adverse childhood experiences on phubbing among college students at a medical university in China: the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of personal social capital

Abstract

Background: The phenomenon of “screen-addicted youth” is becoming increasingly prevalent among Chinese college students. This study examines how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Personal Social Capital (PSC) and depression influence phubbing behavior in today’s global digital environment. Methods: A stratified and convenience sampling method was used to survey 1918 college students at a comprehensive medical university in China using the Chinese version of the Revised Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Chinese version of the Generic Scale of Phubbing, and the Chinese version of the Personal Social Capital Scale 8 from October 8, 2024 to November 8, 2024. A moderated mediation model was employed to analyze the mediating effect of depression and the moderating effect of PSC. Results: There were significant positive correlations of phubbing with ACEs (r = 0.433, P < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.531, P < 0.001), while PSC was negatively correlated with phubbing behavior (r = -0.572, P < 0.001). Depression partially mediated the relationship between ACEs and phubbing behavior, with an indirect effect 0.126 (95% CI = 0.111–0.164), accounting for 36.84% of the total effect. PSC not only moderated the direct effect of this relationship (β = -0.087, t = -5.466, P < 0.001), but also moderated the first half of the indirect effect (β = -0.041, t = -2.148, P = 0.026). Conclusions: Depression partially mediates the association between ACEs and phubbing among students at a medical university in China, PSC was negatively associated with phubbing behavior and was linked to a weaker association between ACEs and depression, thereby being indirectly associated with lower levels of phubbing behavior. This study highlights the need for enhanced mental health interventions for Chinese students with high ACEs exposure and the importance of improving PSC.