Abstract
ObjectiveGiven the relevance of problematic Internet use (PIU) to everyday life, its relationship to emotional dysregulation and the importance of metacognitions and distress intolerance in process and intermediaries research, this study examined which of metacognitions and distress intolerance acts as an intermediary between emotional dysregulation and PIU. MethodsIn the current study, 413 undergraduate students from the University of Tehran, Iran (202 females; mean age=20.13) voluntarily completed a questionnaire package which included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30(, and Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). The data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling by LISREL software. ResultsSignificant correlations were found between PIU and emotional dysregulation and both distress intolerance and metacognitions (P<0.001). Structural equation modeling and path analysis results fit well to the data (χ2/df=1.73; p<0.001; RMSEA=0.05; SRMR=0.04; CFI=0.97; NFI=0.95). The results of the mediational model indicated that emotional dysregulation has an indirect impact via metacognition (β=0.31; SE=0.02) and distress tolerance (β=−0.60; SE=0.03) on PIU. The analysis also revealed a significant direct impact of emotional dysregulation on PIU, although this impact is much less than the indirect impact. The variables in this model accounted for 62% of the variance in participants' PIU levels. ConclusionThe results of this study provide evidence for the impact of emotional dysregulation on PIU through metacognitions and distress intolerance. Also, these findings emphasize that distress intolerance has a more significant mediating role than metacognition in the relationship between emotional dysregulation and PIU.
Highlights
As a readily accessible source of information and entertainment for people of all ages, the Internet has become one of the primary necessities of life in almost all countries
The Internet Addiction Test results indicate that 57% of the students were normal users, 33% of them were exposed to Problematic Internet Use (PIU), and 10% of them were classified as being addicted to the Internet
Analysis of the research data shows that metacognitions have a mediating role in relation to emotional dysregulation and PIU
Summary
As a readily accessible source of information and entertainment for people of all ages, the Internet has become one of the primary necessities of life in almost all countries. Considerable evidence shows that PIU is associated with a number of negative health outcomes in adolescents and adults (Ko, Yen, Yen, Chen, & Chen, 2012; Kuss, Griffis, Karila, & Billieux, 2013), it was not officially classified as a clinical disorder in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This omission indicates the need for further evidence on this emerging mental health epidemic (Young, 2016)
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