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

Xiaoyan Yi and Guangming Li
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Xiaoyan Yi: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Guangming Li: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-12

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, M age = 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 T 2 on internet addiction at T 3 , 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.

Keywords: internet addiction; depressive symptoms; middle school students; RI-CLPM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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