The Longitudinal Relationship between Internet Addiction and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model.

Xiaoyan Yi,Guangming Li

doi:10.3390/ijerph182412869

Abstract

Internet addiction and depressive symptoms are extremely common problems among teenagers, and the coping strategy has been proved to be closely related to internet addiction and depressive symptoms. Based on three waves of data from a sample of Chinese middle-school students (N = 1545, Mage = 14.88 years old, SD = 1.81; 55.00% females), this study examines the longitudinal relationship between internet addiction and depressive symptoms among adolescents ultilizing the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. Results revealed a unidirectional predictive effect of depressive symptoms at T2 on internet addiction at T3, but not vice versa, the effect was more significant in the male group. Positive coping strategies had a significant negative predictive effect on the random intercept of internet addiction and depressive symptoms, while negative coping style had a significant positive predictive effect on the random intercept of internet addiction and depressive symptoms. Effective identification and intervention of depressive symptoms may be beneficial to the intervention and prevention for internet addiction, and we should pay attention to the cultivation of middle school students’ positive coping strategies.

Highlights

Internet addiction and depressive symptoms are extremely common problems among teenagers today
The RI-cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) demonstrated a good fit to the data (χ2 = 145.275 df = 13, p < 0.001; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.961; TLI = 0.901; root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.084, 90% CI [0.072, 0.096]; SRMR = 0.063)
We found gender differences in the relationship between internet addiction and depressive symptoms, the predictive effect of depression on internet addiction was more significant in the male group, so more importance should be attached to males

Summary

Introduction

Internet addiction and depressive symptoms are extremely common problems among teenagers today. The number of internet users in China had reached 1.01 billion, and youth aged 10–19 accounted for 12.3% of total internet users by June 2021 [1]. The problem of teenagers’ internet addiction has attracted increasing attention from all walks of life. In 2020, the number of juvenile internet users in China was 183 million, and 19.6% of them believed that they were psychologically dependent on the internet [3] (CNNIC, 2020). Internet addiction can lead to obvious social, behavioral and health damage, such as loneliness and anxiety [4,5], which seriously affects the healthy growth of adolescents. In addition to internet addiction, depression is very common among adolescents In 2020, the number of juvenile internet users in China was 183 million, and 19.6% of them believed that they were psychologically dependent on the internet [3] (CNNIC, 2020). internet addiction can lead to obvious social, behavioral and health damage, such as loneliness and anxiety [4,5], which seriously affects the healthy growth of adolescents.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion