Smartphone Addiction and Its Association with Perceived Mental Well-Being, Sleep, and Academic Performance Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Smartphones have become an inseparable part of university student life, and a growing body of literature links excessive or problematic smartphone use to impaired sleep, reduced academic performance, and diminished mental well-being. However, locally derived data on how such patterns manifest among student populations, particularly outside high-income settings, remain comparatively limited.

Objective: To quantify patterns of smartphone, use and addictionconsistent behaviors among university students and examine their association with gender, primary purpose of use, and self-perceived academic and psychological impact.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered online to 103 university students (mean age 20.6 plus minus 1.3 years; 53 males, 50 female) between 17 and 21 August 2026. A 27-item structured questionnaire captured demographic and usage characteristics and 18 behavioral/ psychosocial impact indicators. A composite Smartphone Addiction/ Impact Score (range 0–26) was derived from 13 items scored Yes is equal to 2, Sometimes is equal to 1, No is equal to 0 (Cronbach’s alpha is equal to 0.82). Associations were tested using independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and chi-square tests of independence (alpha is equal to 0.05, two-tailed).

Results: The mean composite score was 14.3 plus minus 5.8 (range 0 to 26); scores were classified as low (n is equal to 35), moderate (n is equal to 37), and high (n is equal to 31) using tertile cut-offs. Female participants scored significantly higher than males (16.1 plus minus 5.9 vs 12.6 plus minus 5.2; mean difference 3.57, 95 percent CI [1.36, 5.79]; t is equal to minus 3.25, p is equal to 0.002, Cohen’s d is equal to 0.64). Primary purpose of use was significantly associated with score (one-way ANOVA F is equal to 4.13, p is equal to 0.002, n square = 0.18), with social-media-oriented users scoring highest (16.9 plus minus 5.0) and communication-oriented users lowest (9.3 plus minus 3.2). Composite score level was significantly associated with self-reported academic performance impact (x square is equal to 46.47, df is equal to 6, p less than 0.001, Cramer’s V is equal to 0.48) and mood disturbance (x square is equal to 20.52, df is equal to 4, p less than 0.001, Cramer’s V is equal to 0.32). Perceived sleep-duration reduction was significantly associated with daytime sleepiness (x square is equal to 22.22, df is equal to 4, p less than 0.001, Cramer’s V is equal to 0.33). In multivariable linear regression adjusting for gender, purpose of use, daily hours of use, and age, female gender (beta is equal to 3.43, p is equal to 0.001), social-media-oriented use (beta is equal to 3.25, p is equal to 0.004), and daily hours of use (beta is equal to 0.52 per hour, p is equal to 0.017) remained independent, significant predictors of composite score (model R square is equal to 0.228, p less than 0.001), while age was not significant (p less than 0.278).

Conclusion: Behaviors consistent with problematic or addictive smartphone use were common in this student sample and were significantly and independently associated with self-reported academic and psychological impact. Female students and those primarily using smartphones for social media showed the highest risk profiles even after adjustment for daily usage duration, suggesting that awareness and self-regulation interventions may benefit from being targeted by user profile rather than applied uniformly.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2581.5822.202611

How to cite this article:
Borah A, Biswas P, Ahmed A, Marak D R, Basumatary J, Sonowal C, Moirangthem S. Smartphone Addiction and Its Association with Perceived Mental Well-Being, Sleep, and Academic Performance Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Adv Res Psychol Psychother. 2026; 9(3&4): 48-59.