Open Access

ARTICLE

Relationship between Psychological Security and Fear of Missing Out among University Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

Xiaowen Wan¹, Wenbin Sheng¹, Rong Huang¹, Cheng Zeng¹, Xu Zhou^2,*, Yuan Wu³, Xiaohui Cao¹, Xiaoke Chen¹

1 School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China
2 Evidence-Based Medicine Research Centre, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China
3 Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, China

* Corresponding Author: Xu Zhou. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mental Health and Subjective Well-being of Students: New Perspectives in Theory and Practice)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(2), 215-229. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059074

Received 27 September 2024; Accepted 14 January 2025; Issue published 03 March 2025

Abstract

Background: As the digital age progresses, fear of missing out (FoMO) is becoming increasingly common, and the impact factor of FOMO needs to be further investigated. This study aims to explore the relationship between psychological security (PS) and FoMO by analyzing the mediating role of social networking addiction (SNA) and the moderating role of social self-efficacy (SSE). Methods: We collected a sample of 1181 college students (with a mean age of 19.67 ± 1.38 years) from five universities in a province of mainland China through cluster sampling. Data were gathered using the psychological security questionnaire (PSQ), the FoMO scale, the SNA scale, and the perceived social self-efficacy (PSSE) scale. Data analysis employed independent-sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Harman’s single-factor test, confirmatory factor analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. Results: The results of the mediation model and moderated mediation model analyses showed the following key findings: (1) PS is significantly negatively correlated with FoMO; (2) SNA mediates the relationship between PS and FoMO; (3) SSE positively moderates the relationship between PS and FoMO; and (4) SSE also positively moderates the relationship between PS and SNA. Conclusion: University students’ PS not only directly impacts FoMO but also indirectly influences it through SNA. Additionally, SSE positively moderates both the direct path and the first half of the mediation path, indicating that enhancing students’ PS and SSE can help alleviate their SNA and FoMO, promoting their psychological and behavioral well-being.

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Keywords

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