Zhang Duo, You Yuan, Cai Lin, Zhang Wenjing, Zhang Kai, Wu Yibo
College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024 Dec 13;17:4263-4280. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S486192. eCollection 2024.
Problematic internet use (PIU) is a significant issue during adolescence. It is recognized as a condition for further study in the DSM-5 and may also be a consequence of underlying psychopathologies, as suggested by previous studies. Poor family communication is an important predictor of adolescent PIU. However, it remains unclear how family communication impacts adolescent PIU from the perspective of underlying psychopathologies. This study tested the chain mediating effect of loneliness and depression as well as the moderating effect of developmental stage in this chain mediation model to uncover the mechanisms underlying this association.
This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 1,377 participants (53% male) from 23 provinces across China, all aged 12 to 17. Family communication was assessed using the FCS-10, which measures aspects such as openness, emotional expression, and problem-solving abilities within family interactions. PIU was assessed using the PIUQ-SF-6, loneliness was measured by the T-ILS, and depression was assessed using the PHQ-9. The chain mediating effects were tested using bias-corrected percentile bootstrap (sample = 5000).
The results indicated that (a) poor family communication was positively associated with adolescent PIU; (b) loneliness and depression mediated the link between family communication and adolescent PIU; (c) loneliness and depression sequentially mediated the link between family communication and adolescent PIU; (d) the developmental stage of adolescence (early vs late) moderated the relationship between depression and PIU in the chain mediation model.
This study reveals that depression, as a potential underlying psychopathology, may precede PIU. It also establishes a link between family communication and PIU, showing that loneliness resulting from poor family communication contributes to the development of depression in adolescents. The connection between depression and PIU is particularly pronounced in late adolescence. These findings highlight the importance of addressing underlying psychopathologies when screening and treating adolescent PIU.
网络使用问题（PIU）是青少年时期的一个重要问题。它在《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第五版（DSM - 5）中被认定为有待进一步研究的一种状况，并且如先前研究所表明的，它也可能是潜在精神病理学问题的一个后果。不良的家庭沟通是青少年网络使用问题的一个重要预测因素。然而，从潜在精神病理学的角度来看，家庭沟通如何影响青少年网络使用问题仍不清楚。本研究检验了孤独感和抑郁的链式中介效应以及发展阶段在该链式中介模型中的调节效应，以揭示这种关联背后的机制。
这项横断面研究从中国23个省份共招募了1377名参与者（53%为男性），年龄均在12至17岁之间。使用家庭沟通量表 - 10（FCS - 10）评估家庭沟通，该量表测量家庭互动中的开放性、情感表达和解决问题能力等方面。使用网络使用问题量表简版 - 6（PIUQ - SF - 6）评估网络使用问题，通过青少年孤独量表（T - ILS）测量孤独感，并使用患者健康问卷 - 9（PHQ - 9）评估抑郁。使用偏差校正百分位Bootstrap法（样本量 = 5000）检验链式中介效应。
结果表明：（a）不良的家庭沟通与青少年网络使用问题呈正相关；（b）孤独感和抑郁介导了家庭沟通与青少年网络使用问题之间的联系；（c）孤独感和抑郁依次介导了家庭沟通与青少年网络使用问题之间的联系；（d）青少年的发展阶段（早期与晚期）在链式中介模型中调节了抑郁与网络使用问题之间的关系。
本研究表明，抑郁作为一种潜在的精神病理学问题，可能先于网络使用问题出现。它还建立了家庭沟通与网络使用问题之间的联系，表明不良家庭沟通导致的孤独感会促使青少年抑郁的发展。抑郁与网络使用问题之间的联系在青少年晚期尤为明显。这些发现凸显了在筛查和治疗青少年网络使用问题时解决潜在精神病理学问题的重要性。
