Previous studies have shown that short-form video addiction (SVA) is a significant predictor of adolescent depression. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms. Guided by the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between SVA and depression among Chinese adolescents and to examine the mediating role of attentional bias toward positive information (API) and negative information (ANI), including potential gender differences. A total of 4750 Chinese adolescents (