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Associations between Internet addiction, life satisfaction, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among disaster-exposed children and early adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives: Previous studies have established links between Internet addiction, life satisfaction, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in individuals exposed to disasters; however, the nature of longitudinal links remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine the potential associations among Internet addiction, life satisfaction and PTSS among disaster-exposed Chinese children and early adolescents. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal design was employed over two years and included 2354 Chinese children and early adolescents aged 6 years to 14 years who directly experienced an earthquake and COVID-19. A complete longitudinal mediation method was applied to analyze data collected in three waves from 2020 to 2022 with a one-year interlude. Results: Life satisfaction at Time 2 (T2) fully mediated the associations between Internet addiction at Time 1 (T1) and PTSS at Time 3 (T3). Internet addiction at T2 was a significant mediator of links between life satisfaction at T1 and PTSS at T3. Conclusions: These findings underscore the pivotal role of life satisfaction in mediating the impact of early Internet addiction on long-term psychological outcomes, highlighting it as a key target for interventions aimed at enhancing mental well-being after disaster exposure. Moreover, Internet addiction mediated the link between earlier life satisfaction and later PTSS, highlighting the importance of reducing problematic Internet use to prevent long-term stress symptoms.

Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1628873

Authors: Wei Shi, Guangzhe Yuan, Zhangming Chen, Youguo Tan, Lihua Jiang, Li Zhao