Gender differences in the prevalence and psychopathological mechanisms of internet addiction among Iranians aged 18 to 24: A nationwide study

Abstract

Background

The rapid advancement of technology has revolutionized interaction, learning, and entertainment but also led to Internet addiction, characterized by excessive internet use causing impairment or distress.

Objective

The study explores gender differences in prevalence, risk factors, and clinical aspects of Internet addiction among Iranian youth, highlighting cultural and societal influences.

Methods

A nationwide sample of 3149 individuals aged 18 to 24 was categorized into two groups: those with Internet addiction (n = 1040) and those without (n = 2109). Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28, Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Data analyses were conducted using SPSS software version 26, with a significance level set at <0.05.

Results

Overall prevalence of Internet addiction was found to be 33 %, with a higher incidence in males (63.3 %) compared to females (36.7 %) (χ² = 13.28, p = 0.001). In men, the severity of Internet addiction was significantly linked to emotional abuse (β = 0.20, p˂0.001), DES (β = 0.39, p˂0.001), and DERS (β = 0.16, p˂0.001) (F_{(3, 654)} = 89.85, p˂0.001, R² = 0.29); while in women, it was associated with emotional abuse (β = 0.18, p˂0.001) and dissociative experiences (β = 0.16, p˂0.001) (F_{(2, 379)} = 13.70, p˂0.001, R² = 0.06). The DES partially mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and IAT scores in both genders, whereas DERS only did so in males.

Conclusions

The study suggests Internet addiction as a maladaptive coping mechanism for early emotional abuse, highlighting the need for prevention programs and emotion regulation interventions. Future research should consider longitudinal effects and cultural influences.