OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of childhood emotional maltreatment on adolescent insomnia and the serial mediating role of stress and short video addiction between the two.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 745 adolescents from two middle schools in Hunan Province to collect data on childhood emotional maltreatment, insomnia, stress, and short video addiction. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed on the collected data, followed by the establishment of a serial mediation model.

RESULTS

Childhood emotional maltreatment was significantly positively correlated with stress, short video addiction, and insomnia. Stress was significantly positively correlated with short video addiction and insomnia. Short video addiction was significantly positively correlated with insomnia. Stress (standardized indirect effect = 0.093, 95% CI: 0.070-0.118) and short video addiction (standardized indirect effect = 0.007, 95% CI: 0.001-0.015) mediated the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and adolescent insomnia, and they (standardized indirect effect = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.001-0.012) also had a serial mediating effect.

CONCLUSION

This study further elucidates the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and adolescent insomnia, highlighting the chain mediating role of stress and short video addiction. Guardians of adolescents should be mindful of their parenting practices, as emotional maltreatment may induce stress, which in turn can lead to short video addiction and subsequently contribute to the occurrence of insomnia.