Online social networking addiction and depression: The results from a large-scale prospective cohort study in Chinese adolescents

Abstract

Background and aimsThe aim of this study is to estimate the longitudinal associations between online social networking addiction (OSNA) and depression, whether OSNA predicts development of depression, and reversely, whether depression predicts development of OSNA.MethodsA total of 5,365 students from nine secondary schools in Guangzhou, Southern China were surveyed at baseline in March 2014, and followed up 9 months later. Level of OSNA and depression were measured using the validated OSNA scale and CES-D, respectively. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to estimate the longitudinal associations between OSNA and depression.ResultsAdolescents who were depressed but free of OSNA at baseline had 1.48 times more likely to develop OSNA at follow-up compared with those non-depressed at baseline [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–1.93]. In addition, compared with those who were not depressed during the follow-up period, adolescents who were persistently depressed or emerging depressed during the follow-up period had increased risk of developing OSNA at follow-up (AOR: 3.45, 95% CI: 2.51–4.75 for persistent depression; AOR: 4.47, 95% CI: 3.33–5.99 for emerging depression). Reversely, among those without depression at baseline, adolescents who were classified as persistent OSNA or emerging OSNA had higher risk of developing depression compared with those who were no OSNA (AOR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.01–2.69 for persistent OSNA; AOR: 4.29; 95% CI: 3.17–5.81 for emerging OSNA).ConclusionThe findings indicate a bidirectional association between OSNA and depression, meaning that addictive online social networking use is accompanied by increased level of depressive symptoms.

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Problematic Smartphone Use and Mental Health in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study

“…Mechanisms in this potential reverse causality can include cognitive− and affective−related maladaptive coping strategies such as repetitive negative thinking and emotion dysregulation [39]. The bidirectional association was hence possible and evident by the reciprocal relations found in prospective cohort studies in young people [7,40].…”

Persistence and Remission of Depressive Symptoms and Psycho-Social Correlates in Chinese Early Adolescents

“…Likewise, Chinese scholars recently conducted one longitudinal study where they focused on middle school adolescents. The study conducted in Guangzhou included 5,365 students, with 735 that were reported with depression at baseline and 57.14 % of initially self-reported depressed participants having remained with symptoms after 9 months [12]. Admittedly, the results of the aforementioned studies provide valuable information as the majority of studies that have investigated the prevalence of persistent depression in adolescents were conducted in Western countries (e.g., USA and Europe).…”

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