The Role of Chronic Stress Level and Resilience in Excessive Mobile Phone use by Students

This article examines excessive mobile phone use among students, defined by Billieux as a loss of control that leads to negative physical, psychological, social, or academic consequences. The study explores its relationship with chronic stress and resilience among 174 university students in Kazakhstan (75.9% female, 24.1% male; mean age 18.67 ± 0.648 years). The findings highlight the growing relevance of this issue within the student population.

The Leipzig Express Test for Chronic Stress (LKCS) was used to diagnose the level of chronic stress, and the Resilience Scale (RS-25) was used to diagnose the level of resilience. Several questionnaires were used to diagnose excessive use of mobile phones: the Test of Mobile Phone Dependence brief (TMD brief), Scale PUMP: Problematic Use of Mobile Phone, 27-item Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-27).

Higher chronic stress levels were strongly associated with increased excessive mobile phone use, while resilience showed only weak, indirect correlations. Female and humanities students demonstrated higher levels of excessive mobile phone use compared to male and technical students.

Findings confirm chronic stress as a major determinant of excessive mobile phone use, highlighting loss of control and emotionally negative themes as key latent factors. Resilience plays only an indirect moderating role, while gender and educational profile shape vulnerability patterns.

Excessive mobile phone use is strongly linked to chronic stress among students, while resilience has a limited protective role. Early preventive strategies and targeted interventions should consider stress level, resilience, gender differences, and educational profile.