IMPACT OF FEAR OF COVID – 19 ON SMARTPHONE ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS (ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND STRESS) AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Purpose of the study: The main objective of the current study was to look at the impact of fear of covid–19 and Smartphone addiction on mental distress. Methodology: Effectively using purposive sampling from the twin cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the current study comprises 339 participants, out of which 179 were males and 160 female (18 – 69 years). A standardized measuring instrument (fear of Covid-19 scale) was utilized to self-report data gathering and other tools such as the smartphone addiction scale and psychological distress scale. Main Finding: The results showed that fear of a novel pandemic had a substantial impact on depression (B=0.265, p=.000), anxiety (B=0.194, p=.000), and stress (B=0.153, p=.004), respectively. Fear of Coronavirusalso has a noteworthy impact on Smartphone addiction (B=0.497, p=.000). The findings recommended that elevated fear of the Pandeicis directly related to high mental distress by positively affecting the populace's emotions and behavior. Application of the study: Psychological well-being administrations given in the hour of the continuous COVID-19 Pandemic ought to be coordinated to help in fostering familiarity with sensations of dread and to elevate encountering these sentiments to exceptional levels. One among the cornerstones of psychosocial support administrations could likewise be creating abilities related to enthusiastic mindfulness, working on the ability to deal with sentiments and taking care of pressure and nervousness. Novelty/ Originality of the study: The present study examines the impact of fear of COVID-19 on excessive smartphone usage and mental health problems. This review will give critical commitment to the significant writing concerning a portion of the mental impacts emerging as an outcome of the novel pandemic.