Using Moderated Mediation Modelling and the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution Model to Explore Relationships between Psychological Distress, Specific Addictive Behaviors, and Quality of Life across Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China

Yu-Ting Huang, Po-Ching Huang (), Wen-Li Hou, Musheer A. Aljaberi, Wan Ying Gan (), Serene En Hui Tung (), Ji-Kang Chen, I-Hua Chen, Yan-Li Siaw, Shih-Wei Huang (), Jung-Sheng Chen, Kuo-Hsin Lee (), Rwei-Ling Yu (), Zsolt Demetrovics (), Marc N. Potenza (), Mark D. Griffiths and Chung-Ying Lin ()
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Yu-Ting Huang: National Cheng Kung University
Po-Ching Huang: Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Wen-Li Hou: Kaohsiung Medical University
Musheer A. Aljaberi: Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Wan Ying Gan: Universiti Putra Malaysia
Serene En Hui Tung: IMU University
Ji-Kang Chen: Chinese University of Hong Kong
I-Hua Chen: Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University
Yan-Li Siaw: Universiti Malaya
Shih-Wei Huang: Cheng Shiu University
Jung-Sheng Chen: I-Shou University
Kuo-Hsin Lee: E-Da Dachang Hospital, I-Shou University
Rwei-Ling Yu: National Cheng Kung University
Zsolt Demetrovics: Flinders University
Marc N. Potenza: Yale School of Medicine
Mark D. Griffiths: Nottingham Trent University
Chung-Ying Lin: National Cheng Kung University

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2025, vol. 20, issue 4, No 17, 1759-1782

Abstract: Abstract Internet-related addictive behaviors are a public health concern, especially in Asian jurisdictions. Guided by theory, the present study employed moderated mediation modeling using cross-sectional data from Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China to explore relationships between psychological distress, internet-related addictive behaviors, and quality of life (QoL). Jurisdictional differences were also explored. Using snowball sampling to recruit online data, 6,074 participants aged 18 years or older were recruited. Moderated mediation models suggested that psychological distress was related to all internet-related addictive behaviors, and specific behaviors were related to poor QoL in specific domains: gaming addiction to physical and social QoL, shopping addiction to physical, social, and environmental QoL, social networking addiction to all QoL domains, and pornography addiction and gambling addiction to psychological and social QoL (albeit more weakly). Jurisdictional variations were observed, with stronger associations in Taiwan and China compared to Malaysia and Hong Kong. The findings suggest important relationships between psychological distress, internet-related addictive behaviors, and QoL. They also suggest a need for culturally tailored interventions that address psychological distress and specific internet-related addictive behaviors to improve QoL.

Keywords: Addictive behaviors; Compulsive behaviors; Impulsive behaviors; Internet addiction; Quality of life; Psychological distress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11482-025-10495-1

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