Gender differences in relationships of actual and virtual social support to Internet addiction mediated through depressive symptoms among college students in Taiwan.
This study examined gender differences in the relationships of actual and virtual social support to Internet addiction mediated through depressive symptoms among college students in Taiwan. Results revealed that in females, both actual and virtual social support directly predicted Internet addiction or were mediated through depressive symptoms. However, in males, while Internet addiction was predicted by virtual social support directly or indirectly mediated through depressive symptoms, the link of actual social support to Internet addiction was only mediated through depressive symptoms. Furthermore, in both genders, lower actual social support and higher virtual social support were associated with higher depressive symptoms.
Yeh
Yu-Chun
YC
Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Ko
Huei-Chen
HC
Wu
Jo Yung-Wei
JY
Cheng
Chung-Ping
CP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support