Coping skills and smartphone addiction in adolescents with ADHD: A predictive model and relationship

Background: We sought to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction and coping skills in adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), together with potential predictive factors.Method: Two hundred seventy-five participants (144 diagnosed with ADHD and 131 healthy controls) were included in the study. All participants were evaluated via DSM-5-based psychiatric examinations. Smartphone addiction levels were assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), and coping skills were evaluated using the Coping Scale for Children and Youth (CSCY). The scores were then subjected to statistical comparisons.Results: Higher SAS-SV scores were observed in the adolescents with ADHD compared to the control group (p = 0.047). Significant positive correlations were found between cognitive avoidance (CAV) (p < 0.001, r = 0.377) and behavioural avoidance (BAV) (p < 0.001, r = 0.297) in the ADHD group. In contrast, significant negative correlations were found with Problem-solving (PROB) (p = 0.001, r =-0.281) and assistance-seeking (ASK) (p = 0.013, r = -0.206). Following model analysis, CAV emerged as a significant positive predictor of SAS-SV scores, and PROB as a significant negative predictor (p =0.005 and p = 0.016, respectively).Conclusions: The decrease in coping skills in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD was associated with an increase in smartphone addiction. Additionally, increased cognitive avoidance and low problem-solving skills also predicted addiction.