Smartphone addiction and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms: a cross-sectional study of impulsivity as a key predictor

Problematic smartphone use increasingly overlaps with attentional and traits related to impulsivity characteristic of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Prior research, including Yen et al. (2026), has linked impulsivity, hostility, and diminished interpersonal satisfaction to internet addiction severity, emphasizing the need to explore smartphone-specific parallels in non-clinical populations. This study investigated associations between smartphone addiction, ADHD symptoms, and related behavioral and psychosocial variables among young adults.

Data were drawn from a mixed-mode survey (online and based on paper) targeting individuals aged from 20 to 40 years. Participants with incomplete questionnaires or prior ADHD diagnoses were excluded, resulting in a final analytic sample of 30. Standardized self-report measures assessed Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), ADHD dimensions (inattention and hyperactivity/ impulsivity), mindless scrolling, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale-8; ULS-8), and other psychosocial factors. Statistical analyses were conducted using PSPP software, including descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regressions predicting SAS scores from ADHD dimensions (p < .05 significance threshold).

The sample had a mean age of 28.83 years (SD = 4.24), with 37% of the participants being male. Mean SAS score was 53.97 (SD = 20.31), with 20% of participants meeting the clinical addiction cutoff. Notably, 57% showed high ADHD risk, and 10% met the clinical cutoff for ADHD. Sleep quality was poor (PSQI: M = 19.30, SD = 5.03), loneliness levels were elevated (ULS-8: M = 47.22, SD = 18.32), and mindless scrolling was prominent (M = 26.53, SD = 7.83).

Participants meeting clinical ADHD cutoffs displayed significantly higher smartphone addiction levels, including greater daily disturbance (p = .038), overuse (p = .020), and overall SAS scores (p = .034) compared to non-ADHD counterparts. These individuals also reported more mindless scrolling (p = .038), heightened loneliness (p = .006), and increased daytime dysfunction (p = .023). Smartphone-addicted participants showed elevated mindless scrolling (p < .001), hyperactivity-impulsivity (p = .016), and overall ADHD severity (p = .040).

Pearson correlations revealed strong links between total SAS and ADHD symptoms, with hyperactivity-impulsivity showing stronger associations than inattention. SAS subscales like daily disturbance and overuse correlated most robustly with impulsivity. Multiple regression analyses confirmed hyperactivity-impulsivity as a significant predictor of total SAS (β = .54, p = .006) and daily disturbance (β = .50, p = .010), while inattention was not significant. Mindless scrolling was moderately associated with both smartphone addiction severity and ADHD symptoms, suggesting it as a behavioral mediator between impulsivity and problematic smartphone use.

These findings highlight that problematic smartphone use aligns more closely with ADHD-related impulsivity than inattention, with implications for targeted interventions in young adults. Future research could test digital detox programs focused on impulsivity to mitigate these risks in non-clinical groups. Interventions focused on impulsivity may effectively reduce smartphone addiction risks.

References

Yen, CF., Chou, WJ., Hsiao, R.C. et al. Internet addiction, ADHD, and adolescent mental health: a 1-year longitudinal study of risk and moderation. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 20, 36 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-026-01045-0