{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T11:49:33Z","timestamp":1790941773427,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]],"date-time":"2025-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755648000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The relationship between social media addiction and depressive symptoms has been extensively studied; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. This study examined the mediating roles of social appearance anxiety and body checking behaviors in this relationship. This research aims to address the gap in understanding how social media addiction influences mental health, particularly among college students.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Data from 1,456 students recruited from three universities in Shandong, China, were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Demographic characteristics of the participants were collected and assessed for social appearance anxiety, body checking behaviors, social media addiction, and depressive symptoms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.9% in the study sample. Social appearance anxiety, body checking behavior, and social media addiction were significantly and positively correlated with depressive symptoms (\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.367 - 0.519,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.001). Social media addiction directly and positively predicted depressive symptoms with a direct effect value of 0.173. Furthermore, social appearance anxiety and body checking behavior played independent and serial multiple mediating roles in the association between social media addiction and depressive symptoms, with indirect effect values of 0.193, 0.035, and 0.235, respectively.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Social media addiction is a significant risk factor contributing to depressive symptoms among college students. This study provides new insight into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between social media addiction and mental health, with implications for global mental health interventions. Specifically, the negative impact of social media addiction is mediated by social appearance anxiety and body checking behavior. These findings suggest that school administrators and policymakers should develop targeted interventions to reduce social media addiction among college students and prioritize providing psychological support to alleviate social appearance anxiety and promote a healthy body image. By addressing these factors, this research contributes to a broader understanding of mental health challenges in the digital age.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1608527","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]],"date-time":"2025-08-20T05:34:19Z","timestamp":1755668059000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Social appearance anxiety and body checking behavior in the relationship between social media addiction and depressive symptoms among college students"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Xiaochen","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shufei","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhen","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chang","family":"Fu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2012.11.015","article-title":"A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students","volume":"47","author":"Ibrahim","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Psychiatr Res"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.936700","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors of depressive symptoms among 140,259 college students during the COVID-19 epidemic normalization in China: a cross-sectional survey","volume":"10","author":"Luo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.21926\/obm.neurobiol.2404261","article-title":"The impact of depressive and anxiety symptoms on academic achievement among undergraduate university students: a systematic review","volume":"8","author":"Awadalla","year":"2024","journal-title":"OBM Neurobiol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.1012298","article-title":"Associations between anxiety, depression, and risk of suicidal behaviors in Chinese medical college students","volume":"13","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.13606","article-title":"Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"63","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Child Psychol Psychiatry"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2023.107781","article-title":"Problematic social media use is associated with depression and similar to behavioral addictions: physiological and behavioral evidence","volume":"145","author":"Tsilosani","year":"2023","journal-title":"Addict. Behav"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10389-023-02012-1","article-title":"The global prevalence of social media addiction among university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"33","author":"Salari","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Public Health-Heid."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2020.106487","article-title":"Sleepless due to social media? Investigating problematic sleep due to social media and social media sleep hygiene","volume":"113","author":"Tandon","year":"2020","journal-title":"Comput Hum Behav"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-024-02222-6","article-title":"The effect of grandparental care on social networking sites addiction in college: mediated by social anxiety and loneliness","volume":"12","author":"Zeng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psyo."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.3934\/publichealth.2021004","article-title":"Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students","volume":"8","author":"Mofatteh","year":"2020","journal-title":"AIMS Public Health"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smrv.2020.101414","article-title":"Interplay between social media use, sleep quality, and mental health in youth: A systematic review","volume":"56","author":"Alonzo, Hussain","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sleep Med Rev"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0265407519836170","article-title":"Less in-person social interaction with peers among U.S. adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness","volume":"36","author":"Twenge","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Soc Pers. Relat"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.29329\/ijpe.2021.375.22","article-title":"The relationship between social appearance anxiety, automatic thoughts and depression-anxiety-stress in emerging adulthood","volume":"17","author":"Celik","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Progressive Educ"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/001872675400700202","article-title":"A theory of social comparison processes","volume":"7","author":"Festinger","year":"1954","journal-title":"Hum Relat"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-023-01495-7","article-title":"Unravelling the veil of appearance anxiety: exploring social media use among Chinese young people","volume":"12","author":"Wu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psyo."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2018.12.012","article-title":"Motivational processes and dysfunctional mechanisms of social media use among adolescents: a qualitative focus group study","volume":"93","author":"Throuvala","year":"2019","journal-title":"Comput Hum Behav Rep"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e17090","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.17090\/supp-1","article-title":"The relationship between appearance anxiety and depression among students in a medical university in China: a serial multiple mediation model","volume":"12","author":"Xian","year":"2024","journal-title":"PeerJ"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08936038908404746","article-title":"The self as a theorist: individual differences in identity formation","volume":"2","author":"Berzonsky","year":"1989","journal-title":"Int J Pers Construct Psychol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1037\/10312-000","article-title":"Theory assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance","volume-title":"Exacting beauty: theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance","author":"Thompson","year":"1999"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2022.02.009","article-title":"Social media and body image: modulating effects of social identities and user characteristics","volume":"41","author":"Rodgers","year":"2022","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1177\/1073191107306673","article-title":"Development and examination of the social appearance anxiety scale","volume":"15","author":"Hart","year":"2008","journal-title":"Assessment"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2009.05.001","article-title":"Body checking behaviors in men","volume":"6","author":"Walker","year":"2009","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2024\/6774939","article-title":"Mediating effects of perceived social support on the relationship between comfort and hope in hospitalized patients with acute ischemic stroke","volume":"1","author":"He","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Nurs. Manage"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2466\/02.09.18.PR0.110.2.501-517","article-title":"Development of a facebook addiction scale","volume":"110","author":"Andreassen","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychol Rep"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-023-04799-5","article-title":"A serial mediation model of social media addiction and college students\u2019 academic engagement: the role of sleep quality and fatigue","volume":"23","author":"Zhuang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psyo"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-023-04837-2","article-title":"Six addiction components of problematic social media use in relation to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms: a latent profile analysis and network analysis","volume":"23","author":"Peng","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psyo"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12677\/ap.2016.64060","article-title":"The influence of self-objectification on appearance anxious among female college students","volume":"6","author":"Yu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Adv Psychol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-021-01171-y","article-title":"Further support for the validity of the social appearance anxiety scale (SAAS) in a variety of German-speaking samples","volume":"27","author":"Reichenberger","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eat Weight Disord-st."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2014.07.008","article-title":"The influence of social anxiety on the body checking behaviors of female college students","volume":"11","author":"White","year":"2014","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/eat.10012","article-title":"Development of the body checking questionnaire: A self-report measure of body checking behaviors","volume":"31","author":"Reas","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Eat Disorder."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x","article-title":"The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure","volume":"16","author":"Kroenke","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Gen Intern Med"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e203976","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976","article-title":"Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019","volume":"3","author":"Lai","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1979.01780020039003","article-title":"Influence of demographic characteristics on two measures of depressive symptoms: the relation of prevalence and persistence of symptoms with sex, age, education, and marital status","volume":"36","author":"Craig","year":"1979","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiat."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e99692","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0099692","article-title":"The prevalence and risk factors for depression symptoms in a rural chinese sample population","volume":"9","author":"Zhou","year":"2014","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.30476\/whb.2024.103485.1302","article-title":"The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy in reducing anxiety sensitivity and body checking behaviors in adolescent girls with social anxiety disorder","volume":"11","author":"Alboushoke","year":"2024","journal-title":"Womens Health Bull"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-019-1744-2","article-title":"A systematic review of depression and anxiety in medical students in China","volume":"19","author":"Mao","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1002\/jcop.22561","article-title":"Stress of university students before and after campus closure in response to COVID-19","volume":"50","author":"Keyserlingk","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Community Psychol"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1556\/2006.2021.00025","article-title":"Determination the cut-off point for the Bergen Social Media Addiction (BSMAS): diagnostic contribution of the six criteria of the components model of addiction for social media disorder","volume":"10","author":"Luo","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Behav Addict."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105960","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2019.04.018","article-title":"Time invariance of three ultra-brief internet-related instruments: Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9)(Study Part B)","volume":"101","author":"Chen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Addict Behav"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-024-01818-2","article-title":"The relationship between family functioning and social media addiction among university students: a moderated mediation model of depressive symptoms and peer support","volume":"12","author":"Qi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psyo."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/ijamh-2022-0111","article-title":"Social media addiction and depression and their predictors among university students","volume":"36","author":"Shanshal","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int J Adolesc Med Health"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.64193","article-title":"Does social media use increase depressive symptoms? A reverse causation perspective","volume":"12","author":"Hartanto","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2021.04.011","article-title":"The effects of self-disclaimer instagram captions on young women\u2019s mood and body image: the moderating effect of participants\u2019 own photo manipulation practices","volume":"38","author":"McComb","year":"2021","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40894-022-00179-4","article-title":"How the exposure to beauty ideals on social networking sites influences body image: a systematic review of experimental studies","volume":"7","author":"Fioravanti","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adolesc Res Rev"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eatbeh.2018.11.001","article-title":"Do body checking and avoidance behaviors explain variance in disordered eating beyond attitudinal measures of body image","volume":"32","author":"Linardon","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eat Behav"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eatbeh.2024.101873","article-title":"Eating disorder-related functional impairment predicts greater depressive symptoms across one semester of college","volume":"53","author":"Patarinski","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eat Behav"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1608527\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]],"date-time":"2025-08-20T05:34:20Z","timestamp":1755668060000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1608527\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]]},"references-count":46,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1608527"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1608527","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]]},"article-number":"1608527"}}