Work

The mediating effect of social network sites addiction on the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and depression in college students and the moderating effect of psychological flexibility

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Experience of child psychological abuse in college students is likely to increase their risk of depression, but the potential psychological mechanisms between the two require further exploration. This study supplemented the risk and protective factors between child psychological abuse and depression in college students by introducing social network sites addiction (SNSA) as a mediating factor and psychological flexibility as a moderating factor. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 655 college students from two universities in Hunan Province, China. Self-reported measures included childhood psychological abuse, depression, SNSA, and psychological flexibility. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed on these variables, followed by the establishment of a structural equation model. RESULTS: Child psychological abuse was positively associated with depression (r = .507, p < .001) and SNSA (r = .208, p < .001) in college students and negatively associated with psychological flexibility (r = -.293, p < .001). SNSA played a mediating role between childhood psychological abuse and depression (β = .170, SE = 0.035, p < .001) in college students, while psychological flexibility attenuated the strength of the relationship between the latter two (β = -.095, SE = 0.031, p < .01). CONCLUSION: The study further elucidates the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and depression in college students. SNSA may mediate the relationship between the two, while psychological flexibility may buffer the strength of the relationship between them. Future research should explore interventions enhancing college students' psychological flexibility after childhood psychological abuse to cut the risk of depression.

Source: Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice

DOI: 10.1111/papt.12580

Authors: Yang Liu, Pengfei Wang, Liangfan Duan, Qingxin Shen, Lei Xu, Tiancheng Zhang

Institutions: Jishou University, Dalian University of Technology, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics

Language: English

Topic: Impact of Technology on Adolescents

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China