Severity of inattention symptoms, experiences of being bullied, and school anxiety as mediators in the association between excessive short-form video viewing and school refusal behaviors in adolescents

Summary

This cross-sectional study of 2,056 Chinese middle and senior high school students examined factors contributing to school refusal behaviour, which was present in 31.9% of the sample. Using path analysis and random forest regression, the authors identified that excessive short-form video viewing influences school refusal both directly and indirectly through severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety, with intense fear and avoidance behaviours serving as key mechanisms. The findings suggest that digital media consumption patterns warrant consideration in understanding adolescent school disengagement.

UK applicability

The study's findings on mechanisms linking digital media consumption to school refusal may be relevant to UK educational and mental health contexts, though direct applicability depends on whether short-form video use patterns and their psychological effects are comparable across different educational systems and cultural settings.

Key measures

School Refusal Behavior Assessment questionnaire; Excessive Short-Form Video Viewing Scale; self-reported leisure viewing time; SNAP-IV Rating Scale for inattention severity; self-administered questionnaires for bullying experiences and school anxiety; random forest regression, path analysis, and network analysis

Outcomes reported

The study assessed the prevalence of school refusal behaviour (31.9%) and examined direct and indirect pathways through which excessive short-form video viewing influences school refusal, mediated by inattention severity and school anxiety. Key measured constructs included school refusal behaviour features, excessive short-form video viewing, inattention symptoms, bullying experiences, and school anxiety.

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