Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University , hjadidi95@iausdj.ac.ir
Abstract: (6 Views)
Background: Alongside its benefits, internet use can pave the way for addiction among university students. Research indicates that psychological distress and alexithymia have a significant impact on social media addiction in students. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation have been cited as a key factor in the development of internet addiction.
Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the structural model of social media addiction based on psychological distress and alexithymia, with a focus on the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation among university students.
Methods: This was a basic research study employing a descriptive-correlational design based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised all undergraduate students at the Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, during the 2024-2025 academic year. A sample of 403 students was selected via multi-stage cluster sampling. Participants completed the Mobile-Based Social Media Addiction Scale (Khajehahmadi, 2016), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby, Parker, & Taylor, 1994), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). Data were analyzed using SEM with SPSS27 and AMOS26 software.
Results: The results from the structural equation modeling showed that the proposed model explained 25% of the variance in social media addiction. The path analysis indicated that difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation played a fully significant mediating role. Specifically, the indirect paths from psychological distress (including anxiety with a coefficient of β=0/066, stress with β=0/060, and depression with β=0/148) and from alexithymia (β=0/593) to social media addiction were positive and significant (p<0/001).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that students who experienced higher levels of psychological distress and alexithymia, and also struggled with emotion regulation, exhibited greater social media addiction. Therefore, developing preventive programs and effective interventions is crucial to prevent dependency on social media.
Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the structural model of social media addiction based on psychological distress and alexithymia, with a focus on the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation among university students.
Methods: This was a basic research study employing a descriptive-correlational design based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised all undergraduate students at the Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, during the 2024-2025 academic year. A sample of 403 students was selected via multi-stage cluster sampling. Participants completed the Mobile-Based Social Media Addiction Scale (Khajehahmadi, 2016), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby, Parker, & Taylor, 1994), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). Data were analyzed using SEM with SPSS27 and AMOS26 software.
Results: The results from the structural equation modeling showed that the proposed model explained 25% of the variance in social media addiction. The path analysis indicated that difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation played a fully significant mediating role. Specifically, the indirect paths from psychological distress (including anxiety with a coefficient of β=0/066, stress with β=0/060, and depression with β=0/148) and from alexithymia (β=0/593) to social media addiction were positive and significant (p<0/001).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that students who experienced higher levels of psychological distress and alexithymia, and also struggled with emotion regulation, exhibited greater social media addiction. Therefore, developing preventive programs and effective interventions is crucial to prevent dependency on social media.
Keywords: Social media addiction, Psychological distress (anxiety, stress, depression), Alexithymia, Difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation.
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