Short-Form Video Addiction and Depression in Medical Students: A Serial Mediation Model of Problem-Solving Ability and Meaning in Life

Depression among medical students is a global public-health concern. This study examined the association between short-form video addiction and depression among medical students, and investigated whether problem-solving ability and meaning in life function as mediators in that association. Data were drawn from a survey of 1,893 medical students at three public institutions and their medical schools in western China. The results indicated a positive association between short-form video addiction and depression. Problem-solving ability and meaning in life each independently demonstrated a mediating role. In addition, a serial mediating pattern involving problem-solving ability followed by meaning in life was identified within the association between short-form video addiction and depression. These findings provide new insights into the association between short-form video addiction and depression among medical students and hold potential implications for efforts aimed at prevention and intervention.