The longitudinal relationship between loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction among rural left‐behind children: A cross‐lagged panel analysis

Abstract Introduction Left‐behind children are a special group that needs urgent attention. Due to enduring separation from their parents, loneliness is considered the most common and prevalent developmental hurdle in the experiences of left‐behind children. This longitudinal cross‐lagged study examined the direction of the association between loneliness and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with considering gender and left‐behind status differences. Methods A total of 1175 rural Chinese children (48.3% boys, 39.9% left‐behind children, M age = 14.54 ± 1.18 at baseline) completed self‐reported loneliness, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction at two‐time points with 6 months intervals. Descriptive statistics, cross‐lagged panel analysis, and multiple group analysis were estimated in the present study. Results Loneliness exacerbated social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa. In addition, gender and left‐behind status moderated these relationships, with boys more likely to be mobile phone addicted due to loneliness and girls more likely to be lonely due to mobile phone addiction. More importantly, left‐behind children with loneliness are more prone to social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa, compared with non‐left‐behind children. Conclusions The targeted interventions should be carried out for different genders and left‐behind statuses. Particularly for left‐behind children, neglecting to address both the symptoms of loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction could significantly undermine the efficacy of intervention programs that solely target either one of these afflictions.