Differences in Internalizing Problems Across Risk Groups of Smartphone Addiction: Simulation-Based Network Analysis of Intervention Targets

Smartphone addiction (SA) has become a widespread issue and is consistently linked to a range of internalizing problems, including anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Previous studies have primarily focused on the overall association between SA and internalizing problems; however, differences in symptom patterns and potential intervention targets across SA risk groups remain unclear. This study recruited 1411 adults (Mage = 28.87 years, 45.64% female) who completed the survey. Data analysis was conducted using latent profile analysis and network analysis with simulation-based techniques. Latent profile analysis identified low-, moderate-, and high-SA groups. “Anxiety and panic” was the primary central node in low- and moderate-SA groups, whereas “Sleep disturbances” was the most central node in the high-SA group. Central bridge symptoms varied by SA severity: the “Depressed mood index” in the moderate- and high-SA groups and the “Somatic symptoms index” in the low-SA group. Simulation analyses identified specific anxiety and sleep nodes as candidate intervention targets, whose modeled changes were associated with variations in overall internalizing problems. Optimal targets differed by SA severity, generating hypotheses for future prospective research. These findings highlight the potential value of severity-sensitive, symptom-focused intervention strategies for preventing and alleviating internalizing problems across varying levels of SA.