Chuxian Xu,1 Zhaojia Gu,1 Jin Yan,1 Matthew Lock,1 Shuaiyu Chen,1– 3 Qian Zhuang1– 3 

1Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Qian Zhuang; Shuaiyu Chen, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China, Email qianzhuang.uestc@outlook.com; daozhezifei@163.com

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and problematic short-video use (PSVU) in adults, particularly focusing on the affective and cognitive processes that mediate this relationship. The research aims to clarify how different ADHD symptom domains, specifically inattention (IA) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI), contribute to PSVU.
Patients and Methods: The study recruited 563 Chinese college students (age: mean±SD = 19.85± 1.56) through an online survey platform. Participants were assessed for ADHD symptoms, PSVU, cognitive reappraisal, emotional distress (including anxiety and depression), and boredom proneness. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the mediation effects of these variables on the relationship between adult ADHD symptoms and PSVU. Additionally, the shared and distinct pathway from IA and HI to PSVU in adults were also explored.
Results: The results revealed a serial mediating effect of cognitive reappraisal, emotional distress, and boredom proneness for the association between ADHD and PSVU (Estimate = 0.005, 95% CI = [0.001, 0.014]). Both IA and HI symptoms were found to influence PSVU with increased emotional distress and boredom proneness (IA, Estimate = 0.055, 95% CI = [0.021, 0.099]; HI, Estimate = 0.088, 95% CI = [0.043, 0.150]). However, divergent pathways were found by which IA increased the PSVU indirectly by heightening susceptibility to boredom proneness (Estimate = 0.044, 95% CI = [0.016, 0.086]), whereas HI primarily influenced PSVU through cognitive reappraisal, emotional distress, and boredom proneness (Estimate = 0.009, 95% CI = [0.003, 0.020]).
Conclusion: These findings shed light on how PSVU develops in adults with different ADHD symptoms, which provide valuable insights for developing more targeted prevention and treatment strategies for short-video addiction in ADHD adults.

Keywords: I-PACE model, cognitive reappraisal, emotional distress, boredom proneness, serial mediation, structural equation model