Department of Child Psychiatry of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, School of mental health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518003, China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 3;20(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02548-6.
The potential mechanisms underlying cyber victimization and the resulting psychological and physical symptoms remain unclear. Thus, the present study investigated whether Internet addiction mediates the association between peer victimization (e.g., cyberbullying) and psychological and physical symptoms. Furthermore, it was assessed whether physical exercise moderates the hypothetical mediation.
1854 students from 11 middle and high schools in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, were sampled for this study. Psychological and physical symptoms were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, while Internet addiction was evaluated using the Internet addiction test by Young. Cyber victimization was measured using a single question. In addition, this study examined whether Internet addiction mediated the association between cyber victimization and both psychological and physical symptoms. Additional work was conducted to test if physical exercise played a moderating role in the mediation hypothesized above. Mediation and moderation were analyzed using PROCESS macro for SPSS.
Regression analysis showed that both cyber victimization (β = - 0.102, p < 0.05) and Internet addiction (β = - 0.278, p < 0.05) significantly predicted psychological and physical symptoms and demographic variables were controlled. Further mediation analysis suggested that Internet addiction mediated the relationship between cyber victimization and psychological and physical symptoms. The 95% CI (confidence interval) of the direct effect was (- 4.283, - 1.696) and the indirect effect (- 1.904, - 0.820), respectively, excluding zero. Finally, moderation analysis indicated that physical exercise moderated the relationship between Internet addiction and psychological and physical symptoms (p = 0.047).
Internet addiction plays a mediating role in the association between cyber victimization and both psychological and physical symptoms, Thus, addressing Internet addiction among cyberbullying victims is worthwhile. Furthermore, physical exercise alleviates negative impacts on health and should thus be promoted.
网络欺凌和由此产生的心理和生理症状的潜在机制尚不清楚。因此，本研究调查了网络成瘾是否在同伴欺凌（如网络欺凌）与心理和生理症状之间的关系中起中介作用。此外，还评估了体育锻炼是否调节了假设的中介作用。
本研究从广东省深圳市 11 所中学和高中抽取了 1854 名学生作为样本。使用世界卫生组织生活质量量表-简明版评估心理和生理症状，使用 Young 的网络成瘾测试评估网络成瘾。使用一个问题来衡量网络欺凌。此外，本研究还检验了网络成瘾是否在网络欺凌与心理和生理症状之间的关系中起中介作用。还进行了进一步的工作，以检验体育锻炼是否在上述假设的中介作用中起调节作用。使用 SPSS 的 PROCESS 宏分析进行中介和调节分析。
回归分析显示，网络欺凌（β=-0.102，p<0.05）和网络成瘾（β=-0.278，p<0.05）均显著预测心理和生理症状，且控制了人口统计学变量。进一步的中介分析表明，网络成瘾在网络欺凌与心理和生理症状之间起中介作用。直接效应的 95%置信区间（置信区间）为（-4.283，-1.696），间接效应为（-1.904，-0.820），排除零。最后，调节分析表明，体育锻炼调节了网络成瘾与心理和生理症状之间的关系（p=0.047）。
网络成瘾在网络欺凌与心理和生理症状之间的关系中起中介作用，因此，关注网络欺凌受害者的网络成瘾问题是值得的。此外，体育锻炼可以减轻对健康的负面影响，因此应该加以推广。
