Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Dec 2024)
The Relationship Between Family Communication and Adolescent Problematic Internet Use: The Chain Mediation Effects of Loneliness and Depression
Abstract
Duo Zhang,1,* Yuan You,2,* Lin Cai,3,4 Wenjing Zhang,5 Kai Zhang,6– 8 Yibo Wu9 1College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China; 2Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK; 3School of Chinese National Community, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Marxism, Sichuan Institute of Industrial Technology, Deyang, 618500, People’s Republic of China; 5Shandong Provincial Health Promotion and Education Center (Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine Promotion and Communication Center), Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250002, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Gastroenterology, Dongying People’s Hospital, Dongying, Shandong, 257091, People’s Republic of China; 8Ruiyang Pharmaceutical Company Limited Postdoctoral Research Workstation, Zibo, Shandong, 256100, People’s Republic of China; 9School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yibo Wu, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Kai Zhang, Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: 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.Methods: 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).Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.Keywords: adolescent, family communication, problematic internet use, loneliness, depression
