The Relationship between Parental Marital Conflict and Adolescent Short Video Dependence: A Chain Mediation Model

Abstract

Background: This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms between parental marital conflict and adolescent short video dependence by constructing a chain mediation model, focusing on the mediating roles of experiential avoidance and emotional disturbance (anxiety, depression, and stress). Methods: Conducted in January 2025, the research recruited 4125 adolescents from multiple Chinese provinces through convenience sampling; after data cleaning, 3957 valid participants (1959 males, 1998 females) were included. Using a cross-sectional design, measures included parental marital conflict, experiential avoidance, anxiety, depression, stress, and short video dependence. Results: Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations among all variables. Mediation analysis using the SPSS PROCESS macro showed that parental marital conflict directly predicted short video dependence (β = 0.269, p < 0.001), and also significantly predicted experiential avoidance (β = 0.519, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.072, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.067, p < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.048, p < 0.05). Experiential avoidance further predicted anxiety (β = 0.521, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.489, p < 0.001), stress (β = 0.408, p < 0.001), and short video dependence (β = 0.244, p < 0.001). While both anxiety (β = 0.050, p < 0.05) and depression (β = 0.116, p < 0.001) positively predicted short video dependence, stress did not (β = 0.019, p = 0.257). Overall, experiential avoidance, anxiety, depression, and stress significantly mediated the relationship between parental marital conflict and short video dependence. Conclusion: These findings confirm that parental marital conflict not only directly influences adolescent short video dependence but also operates through a chain mediation pathway involving experiential avoidance and emotional disturbance, highlighting central psychological mechanisms and providing theoretical support for integrated mental health and behavioral interventions.