MED | SFU at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry in Stockholm

Henrik Bischoff from the Institute of Psychosomatics at the Faculty of Medicine of the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna presented current research on problematic digital relationship behavior at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry in Stockholm. The presentation focused on the role of
mentalization and attachment patterns in how people regulate closeness, distance, and social interaction in digital contexts

From 23 to 26 September 2026, the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) took place in Stockholm. The World Congress of Psychiatry is the WPA’s central international congress. The association represents 147 psychiatric societies in 123 countries and more than 250,000 psychiatrists worldwide. The annual congress brings together representatives from research, clinical practice, and health policy from around the world.

At the congress, Henrik Bischoff from the Institute of Psychosomatics at SFU Vienna presented the study “Mentalization and Attachment as Predictors of Digital Dysregulation – A cross-cultural study of FoMO, phubbing, and ghosting across four regions,” conducted together with Prof. Dr. Christiane Eichenberg.

The study examined three behaviors that have become increasingly relevant in everyday digital life: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), referring to concerns about missing rewarding experiences others may be having; phubbing, in which attention is directed toward a smartphone at the expense of a person who is physically present; and ghosting, the sudden and unexplained termination of communication.

Whereas previous research has often focused on the perspective of those who are ghosted or phubbed, the study deliberately shifted attention to the person engaging in the behavior. It investigated which psychological mechanisms may contribute to people being more likely to engage in such behaviors themselves. The theoretical framework combined attachment theory with the concept of mentalization, that is, the ability to reflect on one’s own and others’ mental states and to anticipate the possible interpersonal consequences of one’s behavior

The study was based on an international survey of more than 1,500 university students. Measures included different forms of problematic digital relationship behavior as well as attachment characteristics and mentalization. The aim was to investigate whether common psychological mechanisms could be identified across different forms of digital dysregulation.

One central finding was that mentalization deficits were consistently associated with all three behaviors. Individuals reporting greater difficulties in understanding and reflecting on their own and others’ mental states also reported higher levels of problematic digital relationship behavior.

More specific associations were also found for attachment patterns. Attachment avoidance was particularly associated with ghosting, while attachment anxiety was especially related to FoMO. These findings suggest that digital behaviors cannot be explained solely by smartphone or social media use itself, but may also be linked to more fundamental interpersonal mechanisms involved in regulating closeness and distance.

From a research and clinical perspective, the findings point to mentalization as a potential target for further investigation in interventions addressing dysregulated digital behavior. Attachment-based approaches may also help to better understand recurring ghosting as a form of interpersonal distance regulation.

Overall, the findings suggest that problematic digital relationship behavior should not be understood merely as a side effect of digital technology. Such behaviors may also reflect broader psychological processes that shape how people regulate closeness, distance, and social relationships.

Image: Henrik Bischoff presenting the study ‘Mentalisation and Attachment as Predictors of Digital Dysregulation’ at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry in Stockholm on 24 September 2026