A partial mediation effect of father-child attachment and self-esteem between parental marital conflict and subsequent features of internet gaming disorder in children: a 12-month follow-up study

Abstract

Objectives This study evaluated whether parent-child attachment and self-esteem may mediate a relationship between parental marital conflict and increases in features of internet gaming disorder (IGD) in children at one year. Method Baseline and one-year follow-up data for 268 children from the iCURE study were collected. The students were "non-cases of high risk of IGD" in the initial selfreported assessment, anyone living with both parents, current game users at baseline, and those who completed a 12-month follow-up assessment. The Internet Game Use-Elicited Symptom Screen (IGUESS) was used to identify increases in IGD features at 12 months. To examine a potential mediation effect, structural equation modeling was performed. Results The direct effect was statistically significant, and parental marital conflict at baseline significantly predicted increases in IGD features in children at the 12-month follow-up after adjusting for gender, sex, socioeconomic status, and baseline IGUESS score (ß=0.206, P=0.003). The indirect effect showed that attachment to fathers through self-esteem was a significant mediating effect (ß=0.078, P=0.045). However, attachment to mothers through self-esteem was not a statistically significant mediating effect. The effect of parental conflict on increases in IGD features in children was partially mediated by fatherchild attachment through self-esteem. Conclusion Parental marital conflicts is associated with increases in IGD features in children through poor father-child attachment, and in turn, lower levels of self-esteem in the children. Parents, especially fathers, should make an effort to bond with their children to reduce the risk their children will develop IGD features.