Effect of Social Support on Depression of Internet Addicts and the Mediating Role of Loneliness

Overview

Journal Int J Ment Health Syst

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Health Services

Date 2014 Aug 23

PMID 25147581

Citations 9

Authors

Fei He

Qin Zhou

Jing Li

Rong Cao

Hao Guan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Many studies have determined the existence of an extremely close association between Internet addiction and depression. However, the reasons for the depression of Internet addicts have not been fully investigated.

Aim: This cross-sectional study aims to explore the factors that influence depression among Internet addicts.

Methods: A total of 162 male Internet addicts completed the Emotional and Social Loneliness Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Self-Rating Depression Scale.

Results: Loneliness and lack of social support are significantly correlated with depression among Internet addicts. Structural Equation Modeling results indicate that social support partially mediates loneliness and depression.

Conclusions: Both social support and loneliness were negatively associated with depression of Internet addicts whereas loneliness plays a mediating role between social support and depression.

Citing Articles

The Mediating Roles of Future Work Self and Hope on the Association Between Perceived Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Vocational School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

He Y, Zeng Q, Zhang M Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023; 16:2125-2136.

PMID: 37334406 PMC: 10275316. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S414356.

Media use degree and depression: A latent profile analysis from Chinese residents.

Gong F, Yi P, Yu L, Fan S, Gao G, Jin Y Front Psychol. 2023; 13:1070774.

PMID: 36733883 PMC: 9887043. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1070774.

Use of social network as a coping strategy for depression among young people during the COVID-19 lockdown: findings from the COMET collaborative study.

Orsolini L, Volpe U, Albert U, Carmassi C, Carra G, Cirulli F Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2022; 21(1):44.

PMID: 36372894 PMC: 9660093. DOI: 10.1186/s12991-022-00419-w.

The Full Mediating Role of Loneliness on the Relationship Between Social Support and Depression Among Rural Family Caregivers of Persons With Severe Mental Illness.

Zhang B, Lv X, Qiao M, Liu D Front Public Health. 2021; 9:729147.

PMID: 34778172 PMC: 8580924. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.729147.

Roles of Psychosocial Factors on the Association Between Online Social Networking Use Intensity and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents: Prospective Cohort Study.

Li J, Feng L, Wu A, Mai J, Chen Y, Mo P J Med Internet Res. 2021; 23(9):e21316.

PMID: 34546173 PMC: 8493459. DOI: 10.2196/21316.

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