Gaming disorder and depression among chinese left-behind adolescents: Interactions of family, school, and personality factors

Abstract

Gaming disorder and depression of Chinese adolescents have aroused widespread concern. Although there is a close relationship between gaming disorder and depression among ordinary adolescents, few studies have examined this relationship among Chinese left-behind adolescents (adolescents left in rural areas while parents work in urban areas for at least six months annually) from the perspective of environment-individual interactions. This study aimed to analyze whether family, school, and personality factors could interact in predicting left-behind adolescents’ gaming disorder and depression. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted between June and December 2020 in four high schools in Central China. A total of 618 left-behind adolescents between 11 and 15 years of age completed the anonymous survey. The results found that gaming disorder acted as a mediator linking parental neglect to depression. Teacher-student relationships and trait self-control uniquely weakened the predictive effect of parental neglect on gaming disorder and the mediating effect of gaming disorder between parental neglect and depression. The three-way interaction of parental neglect, teacher-student relationships, and trait self-control also showed a significant effect on left-behind adolescents’ depression through gaming disorder. The protective role of teacher-student relationships on the mediation of gaming disorder was stronger for left-behind adolescents with lower trait self-control, and the protective role of trait self-control on the mediation of gaming disorder was stronger for left-behind adolescents with lower teacher-student relationships. The results promote a better understanding of how family, school, and personality interact to predict left-behind adolescents’ gaming disorder and depression. The findings can inform specific practical suggestions for preventing and intervening in gaming disorder and depression.