Impulsivity, Social Support and Depression Are Associated With Latent Profiles of Internet Addiction Among Male College Freshmen

Abstract

Background: The rate of internet addiction is increasing in college students. The first year at college is a particularly vulnerable period for internet addiction. Students' psychological characteristics are likely to play an important role in internet addiction. Our study aimed to assess the relationship between impulsivity, social support, depression and internet addiction among male college freshmen.Materials and Methods: The current study utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify at-risk profiles among 734 college freshmen (100% male) based on their Internet Addiction Test item ratings. We compared the levels of impulsivity, social support and depression among different profiles and investigated whether these variables could predict each latent internet addiction class.Results: LPA resulted in three distinct profiles: the low internet addiction group (42.10%), the moderate internet addiction group (35.70%) and the high internet addiction group (22.20%). Impulsivity and depression increased with internet addiction severity levels, whereas social support was inversely related to the severity of internet addiction. Male freshmen with high impulsivity, low social support and high depression were more likely to be included in the high internet addiction group.Conclusion: This study highlights that impulsivity, social support and depression may predict internet addiction in male college freshmen. Our findings have important practical implications for college educators and counselors in developing interventions for internet addiction.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Problematic Internet Use in a Population of Spanish University Students

“…Second, there may exist confounding variables affecting the relationship between depressive symptoms and PIU. Specifically, both perceived social support [47] and sleep quality [74,75] were not measured in our study.…”

“…Second, there may exist confounding variables affecting the relationship between depressive symptoms and PIU. Specifically, both perceived social support [ 47 ] and sleep quality [ 74 , 75 ] were not measured in our study. It is possible that individuals that present PIU spend a greater amount of time online, which may impact on their sleep–wake rhythm and, ultimately, contribute to the appearance of depressive symptoms [ 76 , 77 ].…”

“…With regard to BMI, we classified our participants according to the following criteria: low weight (<18.5 kg/m 2 ), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 ) y overweight/obese (≥25 kg/m 2 ) [ 41 ]. In addition, we collected information about PIU risk factors previously described in the literature, namely alcohol use [ 42 , 43 ], self-esteem [ 44 , 45 ], social support [ 46 , 47 ], depression [ 47 , 48 ], anxiety [ 49 ] and stress [ 15 , 48 ].…”

Symptoms of internet gaming disorder among male college students in Nanchong, China

“…Evidence revealed that Internet addiction and depression among adolescents is likely to form a vicious circle, that depressed adolescents would have excessive Internet use as a means of alleviating their negative mood, while negative consequences of such excessive use (e.g., social isolation) would further intensify depressive symptoms [ 12 ]. Social support is a basic psychological need that contributes to personal health [ 13 ]. As for Chinese college students, most of them are living independently from their parents for the first time, and their main social environment is composed of peers [ 13 ].…”

“…Social support is a basic psychological need that contributes to personal health [ 13 ]. As for Chinese college students, most of them are living independently from their parents for the first time, and their main social environment is composed of peers [ 13 ]. Support from parents and peers appear to be a very important aspect of social support that the students had embraced, and it plays significant roles in students’ socialization, behavioral development, and mental health [ 8 ].…”