Linking academic stress to loneliness, anxiety, and depression: The association of problematic micro-drama use among Chinese university students

Haoyuan Yu and Zhibiao Yang

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Objective: Problematic micro-drama use (PMDU) has received increasing attention as micro-dramas have become widely consumed among young adults in China. This study examined the associations between academic stress and PMDU among Chinese university students, explored which dimensions of academic stress were uniquely associated with PMDU, and examined the associations between PMDU and loneliness, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 510 Chinese university students. Participants completed measures of academic stress, PMDU, loneliness, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted while controlling for gender and age. The Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) procedure was applied to relevant families of multiple tests. Results: Higher academic stress was associated with greater PMDU (β = .447, p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0361597

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361597

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