Fear of COVID-19, loneliness, smartphone addiction, and mental wellbeing among the Turkish general population: a serial mediation model

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample characteristics.

Variable	Frequency (n)	%
Gender
Female	556	71.9
Male	217	28.1
Occupational status
Student	521	67.4
Civil servant	94	12.2
Private sector employee	61	7.9
Unemployed	97	12.5
Smartphone usage time after COVID-19
Smartphone usage time decreased	29	3.8
Smartphone usage time has not changed	177	22.9
Smartphone usage time slightly increased	214	27.7
Smartphone usage time increased too much	353	45.7
Have you had any relatives diagnosed with COVID-19?
Yes	171	22.1
No	602	77.9
Have you had any relatives who lost their lives due to COVID-19?
Yes	50	6.5
No	723	93.5

Table 2. Descriptive statistics and correlations among study variables (N = 773).

Variable	Mean (SD)	Skewness	Kurtosis	1	2	3
1. Fear of COVID-19	18.19 (5.66)	.080	−.362	–
2. Mental wellbeing	50.36 (9.02)	−.566	.953	−.233**	–
3. Loneliness	13.96 (3.94)	.498	−.407	−.226**	−.483**	–
4. Smartphone addiction	30.94 (10.52)	.276	−.532	.264**	−.247**	.238**

**p<.001.

Figure 1. The result of serial multiple mediational model, *p<.01, **p<.001. Values shown are standardised effects.

Table 3. Indirect Effect of Fear of COVID-19 on Mental Well-being via Serial Mediation.

Path	Coefficient*	95%CI
		LL	UL
Fear of COVID-19 → Loneliness → Mental well-being	−.104	−.141	−.067
Fear of COVID-19 → Smartphone addiction → Mental well-being	−.021	−.039	−.005
Fear of COVID-19 → Loneliness → Smartphone addiction → Mental well-being	−.004	−.008	−.001
Total indirect effect	−.128	−.171	−.086

Note. * completely standardised effect; CI confidence interval; LL lower limit; UL upper limit.