The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

Elena Soriano-Molina; Rosa Limiñana-Gras; Rosa Patró-Hernández; María Rubio-Aparicio

doi:10.3390/bs15020116

journal article Open Access Jan 23, 2025

The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

Elena Soriano-Molina

Rosa Limiñana-Gras Rosa Patró-Hernández

María Rubio-Aparicio

Behavioral Sciences Vol. 15 No. 2 pp. 116 · MDPI AG

View at Publisher Save 10.3390/bs15020116

Abstract

This study examines the association between problematic internet use, or internet addiction, and adolescent mental health, focusing on key psychological variables, assessing the strength of these associations, and identifying potential moderating factors. Methods: A search of the Web of Science databases over the past five years identified 830 articles. Of these, 33 met the inclusion criteria, involving 303,243 participants (average age 14.57; 49.44% female). The selection process was verified by two researchers. Results: Nine psychological variables were analyzed: depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal behaviour, psychological well-being, self-esteem, externalizing problems, aggressiveness, and impulsiveness. Internet addiction showed positive correlations with aggressiveness (r+ = 0.391), depression (r+ = 0.318), anxiety (r+ = 0.252), and suicidal behaviour (r+ = 0.264). Negative correlations were observed with psychological well-being (r+ = −0.312) and self-esteem (r+ = −0.306). No significant associations were found for externalizing problems, impulsiveness, or stress. None of the moderators showed a significant correlation with internet addiction and depression. Conclusions: Although limited by small sample sizes for some variables and the cross-sectional design of most studies, the findings confirm that there is a negative relationship between internet addiction and adolescent mental health. It is related to poorer self-perceived health, greater psychological distress, and greater aggression.

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Details

Published: Jan 23, 2025
Vol/Issue: 15(2)
Pages: 116
License: View

Authors

E

Elena Soriano-Molina

Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; School Psychology Department, European School of Alicante (EU), 03540 Alicante, Spain

R

Rosa Limiñana-Gras

Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; School Psychology Department, European School of Alicante (EU), 03540 Alicante, Spain

R

Rosa Patró-Hernández

Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

M

María Rubio-Aparicio

Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

Funding

European School of Alicante Award: 12274

Cite This Article

Elena Soriano-Molina, Rosa Limiñana-Gras, Rosa Patró-Hernández, et al. (2025). The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020116

The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

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