Cumulative Family Risk and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Adolescents: A Serial Mediating Model of Personal Growth Initiative and Gratitude

Internet gaming disorder in children and adolescents: A systematic review of familial protective and risk factors

Empirical research investigated psycho-social factors associated with the development and maintenance of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in children and adolescents, but their potential role has not been highlighted in systematic reviews. The aims of the current systematic review were to (1) summarize and synthesize findings from empirical research on family factors related to children and adolescents' IGD; (2) identify familial protective and risk factors that are related to the development and maintenance of IGD in children and adolescents, and (3) provide suggestions for future research. A number of 64 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria in the review from the following databases: Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Google Academic, and APA PsycNet. Family variables have been significantly connected to gaming addiction levels in children and adolescents. Results were divided into five main themes: parental mediation, positive parenting, poor parenting, familial disharmony, and familial socioeconomic status. Protective factors included parental knowledge and positive parenting, while poor parenting, familial disharmony and familial socioeconomic status with all their sub-themes represented risk factors. Restrictive mediation and affected parenting provided inconclusive results that deserve further research. Familial connection is imperative for gaming addiction prevention. A stressful familial environment (e.g., parental conflicts) could increase gaming addiction coping behavior. Longitudinal and cross-sectional results provided inconsistent results regarding the role of parental depression and parental mediation in children's gaming addiction development. Cross-cultural studies are needed on familial factors related to children's gaming addiction. Further longitudinal studies could provide answers for conflicting or underexplored areas.

Parental neglect and social media addiction of adolescents: The chain mediation effect of basic psychological need and personal growth initiative

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the relationship between parental neglect and adolescent social media addiction and its underlying mechanism.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used in this study. A total of 792 middle school students participated. Self-report questionnaires were conducted using the Parental Neglect Questionnaire, the Basic Needs Satis faction Scale, the Personal Growth Initiative Scale and the Social Media Addiction Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the chain mediation model.

RESULTS

The results showed that parental neglect was significantly positively correlated with adolescent social media addiction. Basic psychological need and personal growth initiative played a mediating role between parental neglect and adolescent social media addiction, and basic psychological need and personal growth initiative also played a chain mediating role between the two.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed the potential mechanism of parental neglect affecting adolescent social media addiction, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and intervention of adolescent social media addiction from the family and individual levels.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses and educators should engage with parents to increase awareness about the potential consequences of parental neglect and social media addiction among adolescents. These professionals are well-positioned to implement educational programs that teach parents how to satisfy their children's basic psychological needs and encourage personal growth initiatives. Such programs should include continuous support, guidance, and practical strategies for parents to help manage their children's social media use effectively.

The associations between optimism, personal growth initiative and the latent classes of social media addiction

Introduction

Most previous studies have explored the risk antecedents of social media addiction, while few studies have focused on the protective factors that may decrease the risk of this behavioral disorder. By using a person-centered method, the current study focused on the effects of two protective factors (optimism and personal growth initiative) on the latent classes of social media addiction.

Methods

552 college students (248 females) participated in the current study, Mplus 8.3 software was adopted to conduct the latent class analysis.

Results

The results revealed that based on the scores of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, social media users were classified into three subgroups: low-risk class, moderate-risk class, and high-risk class. The prevalence rate of social media addiction in college students was about 9.6%. Female gender was a positive predictor of the membership of a higher-risk class. Individuals with greater optimism and personal growth initiative were less likely to be classified in a higher-risk class.

Discussion

Mental health professionals or educators can use these results to design interventions targeting the two aspects to mitigate social media addiction, which may contribute to the positive development of young people.

Developmental Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms among Left-behind Children in Rural China: The Roles of Family Adversity and Personal Growth Initiative

The adversity faced by left-behind children due to parental migration affects their depressive symptoms, but little is known about the mechanism underlying this association and protective factors from a dynamic perspective. The present study examined the association between family adversity and the developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms, and the potential mediating and moderating role of personal growth initiative in this association among left-behind children. A total of 363 left-behind children (48.8% female; Mage = 12.97 at T1, SDage = 0.55) from five rural middle schools in the Hunan Province of China participated in this three-wave study, employing one-year intervals between assessments. The results indicated the initial level of personal growth initiative mediated the association between family adversity at T1 and the development of depressive symptoms, while the growth rate of personal growth initiative both mediated and moderated this association, with consistent effects across sexes. These findings underscore the critical role of personal growth initiative in the association between family adversity and depressive symptoms among left-behind children.

The association between anxiety and internet addiction among left-behind secondary school students: the moderating effect of social support and family types

BACKGROUND

The left-behind children (LBC), children and adolescents aged 0-18 whose parents have migrated for economic purposes for extended periods exceeding three months, present a unique social concern. These children remain in their place of household registration, often under the guardianship of relatives, while receiving compulsory education. LBC with growing Internet addiction (IA) have made it urgent to take a close look at the mechanisms and effective interventions for them. Anxiety has been proven to be correlated with IA in adolescents; however, the mechanisms of addiction in this population are less well-fully grasped. Based on the current theories and empirical results, the study examined whether and how social support (SS) and family types moderated the associations between anxiety and IA among left-behind secondary students.

METHODS

Stratified cluster sampling survey. A questionnaire was administered to 5290 secondary school children (2553 classified as left-behind) to explore the relationships between anxiety, IA, left-behind types, family types, and social support. This cross-sectional study employed a stratified cluster sampling survey of students in the ethnic areas of southeast Chongqing. The study sought to appraise the relationships between anxiety and IA in different types of left-behind children and to assess the potential moderating effect of SS on the relationship among the population and its family types differences.

RESULTS

The relationship between anxiety and IA was moderated significantly by social support and family types. Notably, the impact of social support on the moderating effect between IA and anxiety varied among students from both family types. For students from families where both parents had migrated, social support weakened the association between IA and anxiety. Conversely, for students from single-parent families where the parent had migrated, social support seemed to strengthen the relationships between these two issues.

CONCLUSIONS

The moderating effects of SS on the relationship between anxiety and IA differs based on family type among various groups of left-behind secondary students. Gaining insights into the IA mechanisms can guide the development of targeted intervention strategies aimed at minimizing IA among diverse groups of left-behind students.

Parental corporal punishment and adolescent drinking: the protective role of personal growth initiative and gender difference

Introduction

Parenting and peer victimization (PV) are crucial for adolescent drinking. To further explore the cause of adolescent drinking, the present study investigated the role of PV and personal growth initiative (PGI) in the relationship between parental corporal punishment (PCP) and adolescent drinking.

Methods

Present study build moderated mediation models to test the hypothesis, and detailed analysis of gender differences was conducted on the models. The data were collected in a cross-sectional questionnaire study with n = 1,007 adolescents (mean age = 13.16 years, 51.84% girls, n = 522).

Results

Model analysis showed that: (1) PV totally mediated the relationship between PCP and adolescent girls' drinking behavior; (2) The positive association between PV and drinking was only significant for girls with low PGI.

Discussion

These findings underscore the importance of the protective effect of a personality trait characterized by spontaneous self-promotion on adolescent girls' drinking.

More grateful, less addicted! Understanding how gratitude affects online gaming addiction among Chinese college students: a three-wave multiple mediation model

BACKGROUND

Online game addiction has become a prominent public concern, particularly among emerging adults, warranting in-depth investigation. Despite prior cross-sectional research indicating a negative correlation between gratitude and online gaming addiction, a dearth of longitudinal research exists in this area. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms that explain the link between gratitude and online gaming addiction remain poorly understood, highlighting a critical research gap in the field.

METHODS

To bridge this gap, our study adopted a three-wave longitudinal design and constructed a multiple mediation model. Over the course of one year, data was collected from a sample of Chinese undergraduates, with 319 students participating at Time 1, 305 at Time 2, and 292 at Time 3. Participants were administered online self-report surveys, enabling the acquisition of valuable data regarding their levels of gratitude, online game addiction, self-control, and loneliness.

RESULTS

The findings revealed a negative correlation between gratitude measured at Time 1 and online game addiction assessed at Time 3. Further analysis demonstrated that both self-control and loneliness played multiple mediating roles at Time 2 in the link between gratitude and online game addiction.

CONCLUSION

These research findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms between gratitude and online game addiction, which provide implications for developing interventions (e.g., interventions based on gratitude) for reducing young adults' online game addiction.

Cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder in Chinese youth: The role of positive youth development attributes

Introduction

As digital natives, young people enjoy the convenience and benefits of the internet but also suffer from unique developmental problems of this age, such as cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD). Research suggests that these online problem behaviors enjoy high prevalence and various negative impacts. To prevent or intervene, this study attempts to explore the association between cyberbullying and IGD and the potential protectors from the positive youth development (PYD) perspective.

Methods

Through the convenience sampling method, a sample of 463 Chinese adolescents was recruited and participated in the survey. They completed a questionnaire regarding PYD attributes, cyberbullying, IGD, and demographic information.

Results

After controlling adolescents' sex and age, results of regression analyses indicated that cyberbullying was positively associated with IGD; PYD attributes had negative cumulative effects on cyberbullying and IGD; and cyberbullying and IGD were negatively related to PYD attributes. Moreover, the mediating effect of PYD attributes was significant in the relationship between cyberbullying and IGD.

Discussion

Specifically, it is very possible for adolescents who have experienced one online problem behavior to suffer from another one. Fortunately, positive personal attributes could effectively buffer this cascading effect. These findings may provide theoretical and practical guidance for practitioners that improving PYD attributes may be a promising approach to prevent or reduce adolescent cyberbullying and IGD.

The more developmental assets, the less internet gaming disorder? Testing the cumulative effect and longitudinal mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the dramatical development and prosperity of online games, while worldwide people are suffering from it. Considering the high prevalence, serious impacts, and huge development potential of internet gaming disorder (IGD), it is extremely necessary to develop a protective model to prevent and intervene with it among young people. Based on the developmental assets theory, the present study adopted a two-wave longitudinal design to evaluate the cumulative effects of developmental assets on IGD, as well as the underlying mechanisms during this specific period. Data were collected from a sample of 1023 adolescents in Hubei province, Central China through self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that (1) developmental assets were negatively associated with adolescents' IGD concurrently and longitudinally; (2) the overall developmental assets had cumulative effects in linear patterns on adolescents' IGD, concurrently and longitudinally; and (3) internal developmental assets mediated the relationship between external developmental assets and adolescents' IGD longitudinally. Theoretically, the present study supports the developmental assets theory and expands the literature about developmental assets and IGD in younger generations. Practically, the present study provides guidance for prevention and intervention of IGD among adolescents during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehensive measures should be taken to assist in developing positive internal and external resources to promote youth thriving.