PERCEIVED STRESS, COPING STYLES, AND PROBLEMATIC SMARTPHONE USE AMONG CHINESE YOUNG ADULTS IN KAZAKHSTAN: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Problematic smartphone use is becoming an increasingly relevant psychological and behavioral concern among young adults, particularly under conditions of elevated stress and adaptation to a new sociocultural environment. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived stress, coping styles, and problematic smartphone use among young Chinese adults residing in Kazakhstan, as well as to assess the potential mediating role of negative coping in the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use. The pilot study included 68 participants aged 18–35 years; the majority were students (94.1%) and had lived in Kazakhstan for less than one year (82.4%). Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), coping styles using the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and problematic smartphone use using the Chinese adaptation of the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-CSV). Perceived stress was significantly and positively associated with problematic smartphone use (r = .46, p < .001) and negative coping (r = .34, p = .005). In the multiple regression model, perceived stress was the only statistically significant predictor of problematic smartphone use (β = .43, p < .001), whereas positive and negative coping did not make statistically significant contributions. The indirect effect of perceived stress on problematic smartphone use through negative coping was also not statistically significant (B = 0.07, 95% CI: −0.03 to 0.21). The findings indicate a significant association between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use in the study sample; however, the hypothesized mediating role of negative coping was not empirically supported. The results of this pilot study may provide a basis for further investigation of psychological factors associated with problematic smartphone use among young Chinese adults residing in Kazakhstan.