Abstract
This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of internet gaming disorder, social network use, and generalized pathological internet use (GPIU) on the association between loneliness and depression. A total of 2211 junior high school students completed questionnaires regarding loneliness, internet gaming disorder, social network use, GPIU, and depression (aged 10–16 years). The results of a structural equation model revealed that (a) the path coefficient of loneliness to depression was significantly positive, (b) loneliness could not predict depression through GPIU directly, but (c) loneliness could predict depression through internet gaming disorder to GPIU, (d) loneliness could predict depression through social network use to GPIU, and (e) loneliness could not predict depression through internet gaming disorder to social network use to GPIU. These results provided significant implications for the prevention and reduction of depression in Chinese junior high school students.
Highlights
Junior high school students are faced with such problems as high academic pressure and monotonous life, which may lead to loneliness, depression, and other mental health problems (Elizabeth and John, 2000; Zhang, 2000; Xu, 2012)
This study aims at studying the mediating effects of internet gaming disorder, social network use, and generalized pathological internet use (GPIU) on the association between loneliness and depression
The results indicated that loneliness had a weak negative correlation with social network use, and there was a significant positive correlation between other variables
Summary
Junior high school students are faced with such problems as high academic pressure and monotonous life, which may lead to loneliness, depression, and other mental health problems (Elizabeth and John, 2000; Zhang, 2000; Xu, 2012). Studies have demonstrated that adolescents with generalized pathological internet use (GPIU) usually suffer from loneliness (Sukenick, 2012) and depression (Zou et al, 2007). A number of studies have focused on the research of internet gaming disorder and social networking disorder (Bouna-Pyrrou et al, 2015; Wartberg et al, 2020). This study aims at studying the mediating effects of internet gaming disorder, social network use, and GPIU on the association between loneliness and depression.
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