Relationship between Internet Addiction, Personality Factors, and Emotional Distress among Adolescents in Malaysia

8Citations
Citations of this article
53Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

COVID-19 has significantly affected the mental health of adolescents, thus increasing the emotional distress among them. Studies have reported that heavy Internet use during COVID-19 was linked with poor mental health among adolescents. Additionally, it was found that personality factors are linked with mental health in general. Although past literature has reported the effect of personality factors on mental health, there are limited studies examining the underlying mechanisms among Malaysian adolescents. Therefore, the current study offers an understanding of the intervening role of personality factors in the relationship between Internet addiction and emotional distress among adolescents in Malaysia. This study also aimed to determine the prevalence of Internet addiction and emotional distress (depression, stress, and anxiety) among adolescents in Malaysia. There are a total of 500 participants from 7 secondary schools who range from 13 to 19 years of age. This was a cross-sectional study, and 3 valid questionnaires were used: The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Partial least square structure equation modelling (SmartPLS) was used to analyse the mediation models. The results showed that the prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents was 29.6% and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents were 64.8%, 78%, and 51.4%, respectively. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed only emotional stability mediated the relationship between Internet addiction and emotional distress, but not openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, or agreeableness. It is proposed that mental health providers should focus on providing emotion-related interventions to adolescents confronting COVID-19 challenges, ultimately improving mental health.

References Powered by Scopus

Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step Approach

31448Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses

22727Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling

20685Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Correlation of negative emotion, fatigue level and internet addiction in college students: implication for coping strategies

2Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Association of Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics to Problematic Internet Use among Youths and Adolescents: Evidence from Vietnam

2Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Evaluating the effectiveness of housework as exercise for overweight and obese Filipino teenagers

1Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Fu, S. C., Pang, N. T. P., & Wider, W. (2022). Relationship between Internet Addiction, Personality Factors, and Emotional Distress among Adolescents in Malaysia. Children, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/children9121883

Readers over time

‘22‘23‘24‘25015304560

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 10

71%

Professor / Associate Prof. 3

21%

Researcher 1

7%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Medicine and Dentistry 7

50%

Nursing and Health Professions 5

36%

Arts and Humanities 1

7%

Psychology 1

7%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
News Mentions: 1
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 19

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0