Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis
Abstract
Aims: Social media use has become an integral part of daily life and may influence parenting behaviors and family functioning. This study aimed to examine the association between social media addiction and parenting styles among parents of children aged 0-12 years attending a psychiatric outpatient clinic and to evaluate the contribution of key sociodemographic factors to these relationships.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 230 parents of children aged 0-12 years recruited from the Psychiatry Clinic of Ankara Etlik City Hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ankara Etlik City Hospital Scientific Researches Ethics Committee (Date: 24.12.2025, Decision No: AEŞH-BADEK1-2025-749), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Correlation analyses and multiple linear regression models were performed to examine associations between social media addiction and parenting styles.
Results: Social media addiction scores were positively correlated with authoritarian (r=0.380, p<0.001) and permissive parenting styles (r=0.287, p<0.001), and negatively correlated with authoritative parenting (r=-0.291, p<0.001). In multivariate regression analyses, social media addiction remained a significant predictor of all parenting style dimensions after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. Higher social media addiction scores were associated with higher authoritarian and permissive parenting scores and lower authoritative parenting scores. In addition, gender, marital status, income level, and number of children were significantly associated with parenting style dimensions.
Conclusion: In this psychiatric outpatient sample, social media addiction was associated with variations in parenting style dimensions even after controlling for sociodemographic factors. These findings suggest that digital media engagement may represent an important contextual factor associated with parenting behavior patterns. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the direction and underlying mechanisms of these associations.
Keywords
Supporting Institution
None
Ethical Statement
Ethics Committee Approval: The present study was approved by the Ankara Etlik City Hospital Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: AEŞH-BADEK1-2025-749; Date: 24.12.2025). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment.The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed Consent: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study.
Referee Evaluation Process: The manuscript was externally peer-reviewed.
Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.
Author Contributions: All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Acknowledgement: None.
Thanks
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References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Psychiatry
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Ezgi Özserezli
*
0009-0009-8468-6006
Türkiye
Publication Date
September 19, 2026
Submission Date
June 11, 2026
Acceptance Date
July 26, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 5
APA
Özserezli, E., & Kaloğlu, H. A. (2026). Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, 9(5), 1297-1303. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1963528
AMA
1.Özserezli E, Kaloğlu HA. Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026;9(5):1297-1303. doi:10.32322/jhsm.1963528
Chicago
Özserezli, Ezgi, and Hatice Ayça Kaloğlu. 2026. “Social Media Addiction and Parenting Behavior Patterns in Psychiatric Outpatient Parents: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9 (5): 1297-1303. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1963528.
EndNote
Özserezli E, Kaloğlu HA (September 1, 2026) Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9 5 1297–1303.
IEEE
[1]E. Özserezli and H. A. Kaloğlu, “Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis”, J Health Sci Med / JHSM, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 1297–1303, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.32322/jhsm.1963528.
ISNAD
Özserezli, Ezgi - Kaloğlu, Hatice Ayça. “Social Media Addiction and Parenting Behavior Patterns in Psychiatric Outpatient Parents: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine 9/5 (September 1, 2026): 1297-1303. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1963528.
JAMA
1.Özserezli E, Kaloğlu HA. Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026;9:1297–1303.
MLA
Özserezli, Ezgi, and Hatice Ayça Kaloğlu. “Social Media Addiction and Parenting Behavior Patterns in Psychiatric Outpatient Parents: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis”. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, vol. 9, no. 5, Sept. 2026, pp. 1297-03, doi:10.32322/jhsm.1963528.
Vancouver
1.Ezgi Özserezli, Hatice Ayça Kaloğlu. Social media addiction and parenting behavior patterns in psychiatric outpatient parents: a cross-sectional multivariate analysis. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026 Sep. 1;9(5):1297-303. doi:10.32322/jhsm.1963528
