The findings matter for anyone weighing mental health treatment for a struggling teen. A study of 600 US adolescents links parents’ heavy phone use to weaker, less secure bonds with their children.
What the Study Found
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2026, the study surveyed 600 US adolescents ages 12 to 17.
Researchers, led by Dr. Don Grant of the Center for Research and Innovation at Newport Healthcare, built and validated a new measure called the Device Attachment Interference Scale to capture how much teens feel their caregiver’s attention is pulled away by phones and other devices.
Teens who scored higher on that scale consistently reported more insecure attachment, both anxious and avoidant, toward mother figures and father figures alike.
In plain terms, adolescents who saw their parents as frequently distracted by screens felt less able to count on those adults for connection and support.
Why Device Distraction Matters
Researchers describe these interruptions with two terms: technoference, when technology breaks into face-to-face time, and phubbing, when a person is snubbed in favor of a phone.
The study did not prove that parent phone use causes insecure attachment. It is a cross-sectional survey that shows an association based on how teens perceive and report their relationships.
Even so, repeated moments of feeling second to a screen may carry real emotional weight during adolescence, a stage when young people are still looking to caregivers for reassurance.
That matters because insecure attachment in the teen years is associated with poorer mental health and more difficulty forming healthy relationships later in life.
The Connection to Treatment and Recovery
Family dynamics come up constantly in addiction treatment and mental health treatment. Strained parent-child bonds are a known stressor, and screens can be part of the picture on both sides of the relationship.
Compulsive device and social media use is also studied as a behavioral addiction, with overlaps to anxiety and depression that clinicians treat through dual diagnosis care.
For families already in treatment, the practical takeaway is that modeling matters. Approaches like family therapy can help households set shared device boundaries and rebuild connection, which supports a young person’s broader mental health treatment plan.
What This Means for Treatment Seekers
If you are researching help for a teen who seems anxious, withdrawn, or disconnected, it can be worth looking honestly at the whole family’s screen habits, not only the child’s.
A pattern of parental distraction will not show up on a diagnosis, but addressing it may strengthen the support a young person feels at home.
Providers that offer family-inclusive care and treat co-occurring conditions can address both the mental health symptoms and the relationship strain around them.
Finding the Right Rehab
If device use, anxiety, or depression is affecting your family, comparing programs that treat co-occurring conditions is a strong first step. Consider:
- Exploring treatment centers that offer family therapy and dual diagnosis care
- Understanding how insurance coverage for rehab and mental health treatment applies to teen and family programs
- Reviewing evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Verifying a facility’s credentials and its experience treating adolescents
Rehab.com’s directory includes verified treatment centers nationwide. Call
800-985-8516
( 
Sponsored Helpline )
to speak with a treatment about your options and find programs that fit your family’s needs.
