{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T05:07:30Z","timestamp":1790140050410,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790121600000},"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>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to examine the association between loneliness and self-efficacy among adolescents and to investigate whether internet addiction mediated this association and whether sleep quality moderated the direct and indirect pathways. Although previous research has demonstrated significant associations between loneliness and both general and social self-efficacy, the behavioral mechanisms underlying these associations and the conditions under which their strength may vary remain insufficiently understood.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,323 students in Grades 7\u20139 from two schools in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. Participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire, and the Athens Insomnia Scale. A moderated mediation model was used to examine the mediating role of internet addiction and the moderating role of sleep quality in the association between loneliness and self-efficacy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Loneliness was negatively associated with self-efficacy. Internet addiction partially mediated the association between loneliness and self-efficacy. In addition, sleep quality moderated the direct association between loneliness and self-efficacy and the first stage of the indirect pathway from loneliness to internet addiction. Specifically, the associations of loneliness with self-efficacy and internet addiction varied across different levels of sleep quality.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking loneliness to adolescent self-efficacy by identifying internet addiction as an important behavioral mediator and sleep quality as a moderating factor. The findings highlight the importance of considering problematic Internet use and sleep quality when developing interventions aimed at promoting adolescents\u2019 psychological adjustment, self-efficacy, and well-being.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1933890","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T04:49:47Z","timestamp":1790138987000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Relationship between loneliness and self-efficacy: the mediating role of internet addiction and the moderating role of sleep quality"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xingwei","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Baoding University of Technology","place":["Baoding, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jilin Agricultural University","place":["Changchun, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","unstructured":"Mental health of adolescents\n          \n          \n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1177\/0963721412471347","article-title":"The teenage brain: Peer influences on adolescent decision making","volume":"22","author":"Albert","year":"2013","journal-title":"Curr Dir psychol Sci"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0883-9417(92)90028-h","article-title":"Sense of belonging: A vital mental health concept","volume":"6","author":"Hagerty","year":"1992","journal-title":"Arch Psychiatr Nurs"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa6601_2","article-title":"UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure","volume":"66","author":"Russell","year":"1996","journal-title":"J Pers Assess"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.16835\/j.cnki.1000-9817.2020.02.019","article-title":"Effect of peer attachment and loneliness on self-esteem among children in rural area","volume":"41","author":"Liu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chin J School Health"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16187\/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2023.03.16","article-title":"Changes of adolescents' loneliness in China, (2001\u20132019): The perspective of cross-temporal meta-analysis","volume":"39","author":"Peng","year":"2023","journal-title":"psychol Dev Educ"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.689913","article-title":"Trajectories of loneliness and psychosocial functioning","volume":"12","author":"Hutten","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.13718\/j.cnki.xdzk.2019.02.007","article-title":"Effects of psychological suzhi on problem behaviors among freshmen of middle schools and high schools: The mediating role of loneliness and security","volume":"41","author":"He","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Southwest Univ (Natural Sci Edition)"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16128\/j.cnki.1005-3611.2021.01.038","article-title":"The relationship between loneliness and adolescents' fear of missing out: The mediating effect of social media use intensity","volume":"29","author":"Cheng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chin J Clin Psychol"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3146","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-018-05377-0","article-title":"Sleep loss causes social withdrawal and loneliness","volume":"9","author":"Ben Simon","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat Commun"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/bij-10-2016-0158","article-title":"Linking loneliness to depression: A dynamic perspective","volume":"25","author":"Mishra","year":"2018","journal-title":"Benchmarking: Int J"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10413209008406426","article-title":"Perceived self-efficacy in the exercise of personal agency","volume":"2","author":"Bandura","year":"1990","journal-title":"J Appl Sport Psychol"},{"key":"B13","volume-title":"Social Learning Psychology","author":"Bandura","year":"1988"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1016\/j.profnurs.2023.04.004","article-title":"The role of self-efficacy and psychological resilience on the relationship between perfectionism and learning motivation among undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional descriptive study","volume":"47","author":"Wan","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Prof Nurs"},{"key":"B15","first-page":"185","article-title":"Social cognitive theory of personality: The coherence of personality: social-cognitive bases of consistency, variability, and organization","author":"Bandura","year":"1999"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.664079","article-title":"Loneliness and social functioning in adolescent peer victimization","volume":"12","author":"Almeida","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3724\/sp.j.1041.2013.01251","article-title":"Shyness and loneliness: The multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy","volume":"45","author":"Li","year":"2013","journal-title":"Acta Psychologica Sin"},{"key":"B18","article-title":"Deciphering the \u201ccode\u201d of emotions","volume":"10","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Political Work J"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/07334648221129858","article-title":"Loneliness is associated with lower coping self-efficacy among older adults","volume":"42","author":"Lee","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Appl Gerontology"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2021.110974","article-title":"Loneliness and emotion regulation","volume":"180","author":"Preece","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pers Individ Dif"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13329\/j.cnki.zyyjk.2019.0556","article-title":"The relationship between perfectionism and academic self-efficacy, loneliness in primary school students","volume":"35","author":"Luo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Occupation Health"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16229\/j.cnki.issn1000-5102.2019.06.024","article-title":"The relationship between social support and self efficacy of college students: Mediating effects of loneliness","volume":"41","author":"Yong","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Qinghai Normal Univ (Philosophy Soc Sci Edition)"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16719\/j.cnki.1671-6981.20180514","article-title":"The influence of loneliness on problematic mobile social networks usage for adolescents: The role of interpersonal distress and positive self presentation","volume":"41","author":"Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"psychol Sci"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tsc.2022.101061","article-title":"Affective state contributes to creative self-efficacy: Evidence from an experimental study of emotion induction","volume":"45","author":"He","year":"2022","journal-title":"Thinking Skills Creativity"},{"key":"B25","volume-title":"Albert Bandura: The Man and His Ideas\u2014a Dialogue","author":"Evans","year":"1989"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2018.11.005","article-title":"The relationship between anxiety symptom severity and problematic smartphone use: A review of the literature and conceptual frameworks","volume":"62","author":"Elhai","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Anxiety Disord"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31083\/BP42770","article-title":"Problematic smartphone use in adolescents: are their emotional abilities and fear of missing out influenced","volume":"33","author":"Garc\u00eda-Canalejas","year":"2025","journal-title":"Behav Psychol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.111.1.33","article-title":"Addiction motivation reformulated: An affective processing model of negative reinforcement","volume":"111","author":"Baker","year":"2004","journal-title":"psychol Rev"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chbr.2021.100070","article-title":"Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review","volume":"3","author":"O\u2019Day","year":"2021","journal-title":"Comput Hum Behav Rep"},{"key":"B30","article-title":"A study on the relationship between the loneliness and internet addiction tendency of college students","volume":"29","author":"Wang","year":"2006","journal-title":"psychol Sci"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31083\/BP49435","article-title":"The prevalence and associated factors of food addiction and internet addiction in turkish adults","volume":"33","author":"Kabasakal","year":"2025","journal-title":"Behav Psychol"},{"key":"B32","article-title":"Parents-adolescents relations and adolescent's internet addiction: The mediation effect of loneliness","volume":"27","author":"Zhang","year":"2011","journal-title":"psychol Dev Educ"},{"key":"B33","article-title":"Self-concealment and internet addiction: Multiple mediating effect of social anxiety and loneliness","volume":"24","author":"Ding","year":"2016","journal-title":"Chin J Clin Psychol"},{"key":"B34","first-page":"64","article-title":"The roles of perceived social support, coping, and loneliness in predicting internet addiction in adolescents","volume":"8","author":"\u00c7evik","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Educ Pract"},{"key":"B35","article-title":"Relation of mobile phone addiction tendency to interpersonal disturbance and loneliness in college students","volume":"32","author":"Tang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chin Ment Health J"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.02.074","article-title":"Symptom relationships between internet addiction and anxiety across primary and middle school students during the Omicron lockdown","volume":"329","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13342\/j.cnki.cjhp.2022.05.020","article-title":"Relationship between sensation seeking and mobile phone addiction in adolescents: The mediating effect of loneliness","volume":"30","author":"An","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chin J Health Psychol"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-18019-6","article-title":"Bedtime procrastination related to loneliness among Chinese university students during post-pandemic period: a moderated chain mediation model","volume":"24","author":"Xu","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B39","article-title":"Investigation on internet addiction college students and their mental health","volume":"28","author":"Yao","year":"2007","journal-title":"Med Philosophy (Humanistic Soc Med Edition)"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1603860","article-title":"The relationship between self-compassion and mobile phone addiction in university students: a chain mediation model","volume":"16","author":"Qiang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"B41","volume-title":"Relationship Between Perfectionism, Self-Esteem, General Self-Efficacy and Coping Styles of Patients Suffered Internet Addiction Disorder","author":"Huang","year":"2015"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsych.2025.08.010","article-title":"Adolescent sleep disruption: Implications for psychiatric morbidity","volume":"98","author":"Tarokh","year":"2025","journal-title":"Biol Psychiatry"},{"key":"B43","volume-title":"The Characteristics and Relationship Among Learning Stressors, Learning Burnout and Sleep Quality in Middle School Students","author":"Liu","year":"2010"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07853890.2024.2307502","article-title":"The association between internet addiction and sleep quality among medical students in Saudi Arabia","volume":"56","author":"Hammad","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann Med"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.52547\/payesh.21.2.197","article-title":"Comparing self-efficacy, quality of life and sleep quality among medical students with and without internet addiction","volume":"21","author":"Bozorgkhoo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Monitor J Iranian Institute For Health Sci Res"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198113493782","article-title":"Resiliency theory: A strengths-based approach to research and practice for adolescent health","volume":"40","author":"Zimmerman","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Educ Behav"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31083\/BP45971","article-title":"Trait mindfulness moderates the effect of loneliness on depressive state: A comparative study of older and younger adults","volume":"33","author":"Pinazo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Behav Psychol"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3934\/Neuroscience.2018.1.1","article-title":"Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship","volume":"5","author":"Vandekerckhove","year":"2017","journal-title":"AIMS Neurosci"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13342\/j.cnki.cjhp.2021.05.028","article-title":"Influence of sleep problems on mobile social media dependence in college students: Mediating effect of loneliness","volume":"29","author":"Luo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chin J Health Psychol"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.44.3.513","article-title":"Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress","volume":"44","author":"Hobfoll","year":"1989","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s0022-3999(02)00604-9","article-title":"The diagnostic validity of the Athens Insomnia Scale","volume":"55","author":"Soldatos","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Psychosomatic Res"},{"key":"B52","article-title":"The study between self-efficacy and coping styles of middle school students","volume":"18","author":"Li","year":"2004","journal-title":"Chin Ment Health J"},{"key":"B53","article-title":"A comparison of moderator and mediator and their applications","volume":"37","author":"Wen","year":"2005","journal-title":"Acta Psychologica Sin"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2013.10.059","article-title":"A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: Towards a model of compensatory internet use","volume":"31","author":"Kardefelt-Winther","year":"2014","journal-title":"Comput Hum Behav"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/s1092852900015157","article-title":"The Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire and the Internet Addiction Scale in the assessment of multiple addictions in a high-school population: Prevalence and related disability","volume":"11","author":"Pallanti","year":"2006","journal-title":"CNS Spectrums"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00431-008-0811-1","article-title":"Internet use and misuse: A multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of internet use among Greek adolescents","volume":"168","author":"Tsitsika","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eur J Pediatr"},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actpsy.2021.103454","article-title":"Loneliness unlocked: Associations with smartphone use and personality","volume":"221","author":"Macdonald","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Psychologica"},{"key":"B58","volume-title":"A Study on the Relationship Between Adolescents' Parental Rearing Style, Self-Efficacy and Mobile Phone Internet Addiction","author":"Zhong","year":"2022"},{"key":"B59","volume-title":"A Study on the Relationship Between Shyness, Social Self-Efficacy and the Use of Questionable Social Network Sites Among Senior High School","author":"Jiang","year":"2021"},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104640","article-title":"Conservation of resources in the organizational context: The reality of resources and their consequences","volume":"5","author":"Hobfoll","year":"2018","journal-title":"Annu Rev Organizational Psychol Organizational Behav"},{"key":"B61","article-title":"Mediating effects of sleep quality between negative emotion and self-efficacy in vocational college students","volume":"7","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Dali Univ"},{"key":"B62","article-title":"The relationship between stress, fatigue, and cognitive functioning","volume":"47","author":"Palmer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Coll Student J"},{"key":"B63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361311416830","article-title":"Fatigue, wellbeing and parental self-efficacy in mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder","volume":"17","author":"Giallo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Autism"},{"key":"B64","article-title":"The relationship between emotion regulation self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality among medical students","volume":"2","author":"Wu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Modern Med Health Res Electronic J"},{"key":"B65","volume-title":"The Influence of College Students\u2019 Sleep Quality on Academic Self-Efficacy and the Role of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","author":"Wang","year":"2022"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1933890\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T04:50:25Z","timestamp":1790139025000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1933890\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"references-count":65,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1933890"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1933890","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"article-number":"1933890"}}