ArticleBMC psychology2026
Association between Internet addiction and mental health problems among Chinese adolescents in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: a propensity score matching study.
Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundImproving adolescent mental health is a priority for public health, with Internet addiction (IA) being notably linked to these problems. In the post-pandemic era, increased screen time and social isolation persist, albeit in a more normalized form, potentially continuing to affect adolescent mental health. The current study aims to examine the relationship between IA and mental health problems among Chinese adolescents in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in two cities of Henan Province, China, between April and May 2023. A total of 8176 junior high school students were recruited from 6 schools using a stratified random cluster sampling method. The associations between IA and mental health problems were assessed using ordinary least squares model and propensity score matching, specifically employing 1:1 nearest neighbor matching, radius matching, and kernel matching. The average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) was reported.
resultsThe detection rate of IA was 19.37% (1584/8176) in this study . Before matching, IA was correlated with elevated levels of depression (β = 2.766, p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = 2.338, p < 0.001), after adjusting for other variables. After matching, participants exhibiting IA were more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to those who were not addicted. Nearest Neighbor Matching: ATT for depression and anxiety was 3.026 (95% CI: 2.609 ~ 3.443) and 2.472 (95% CI: 2.096 ~ 2.848); Kernel Matching: ATT for depression and anxiety was 2.980 (95% CI: 2.654 ~ 3.396) and 2.448 (95% CI: 2.072 ~ 2.824); Radius Matching: ATT for depression and anxiety was 2.886 (95% CI: 2.470 ~ 3.302) and 2.349 (95% CI: 1.973 ~ 2.725).
conclusionIA was associated with depression and anxiety among Chinese adolescents in the context of the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Policymakers, parents, and school personnel should prioritize addressing IA to decrease mental health problems in this population.
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