The Vicious Cycle? Parental Phubbing and Adolescent Psychological Distress: The Mediating Role of Psychological Inflexibility across Different Adolescence Stages

Parental phubbing, defined as the neglectful diversion of attention from children to smartphones, increases adolescent psychological distress and may perpetuate a reciprocal cycle, highlighting the need to understand its dynamics and mechanisms. This study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal associations between parental phubbing and adolescent psychological distress, the mediating role of psychological inflexibility, and the moderating role of adolescence stage (early vs. late adolescence). A total of 1055 adolescents (initial M _age = 14.86 ± 1.70 years, range = 11–18, n _girl = 537) completed questionnaires at three waves over a one-year period (six-month interval) in China. Through the application of random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), the results revealed significant positive associations between parental phubbing and adolescent psychological distress at both between- and within-person levels, with reciprocal effects observed. Psychological inflexibility mediated these associations, with the mediating effect being more pronounced during early adolescence. These results indicate psychological inflexibility is a modifiable factor for breaking the vicious cycle between parental phubbing and adolescent psychological distress, particularly for early adolescents, offering clear directions for future family-based interventions.