@Article{info:doi/10.2196/52978,
author="Guo, Yufang
and Yue, Fangyan
and Lu, Xiangyu
and Sun, Fengye
and Pan, Meixing
and Jia, Yannan",
title="COVID-19--Related Social Isolation, Self-Control, and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese University Students: Cross-Sectional Survey",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2024",
month="Sep",
day="10",
volume="26",
pages="e52978",
keywords="COVID-19 pandemic; internet gaming disorder; self-control; social isolation; university students; game; gaming; games; addict; addictive; addiction; addictions; university; universities; college; colleges; postsecondary; higher education; student; students; China; Chinese; isolation; isolated; self-compassion; mental health; association; associations; correlation; causal; correlated; correlations",
abstract="Background: Internet gaming disorder among university students has become a great concern for university counsellors worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. The factors influencing the development of internet gaming disorder in students during the COVID-19 pandemic could be different from those before the pandemic. Objective: This study aims to explore the associations among social isolation, self-control, and internet gaming disorder in Chinese university students and to examine whether self-control mediates the positive effects of social isolation on internet gaming disorder. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was employed to collect data from university students in Shandong province of China from April to September 2022. The Isolation subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale, Self-Control Scale, and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale were used to assess the social isolation, self-control, and internet gaming disorder among university students, respectively. Models 4 and 5 of PROCESS software were used to analyze the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of gender on the association between social isolation and internet gaming disorder. Results: A total of 479 students were recruited from 6 universities located in 3 different regions of Shandong, China. Students had low levels of internet gaming disorder and moderate levels of social isolation and self-control, with mean scores of 8.94 (SD 9.06), 12.04 (SD 3.53), and 57.15 (SD 8.44), respectively. Social isolation was positively correlated with internet gaming disorder (r=0.217; P<.001), and self-control was negatively correlated with social isolation (r=--0.355; P<.001) and internet gaming disorder (r=--0.260; P<.001). Self-control played a mediating role in the association between social isolation and internet gaming disorder ($\beta$=--.185, 95{\%} CI --.295 to --.087). The effects of social isolation on internet gaming disorder among female students were lower than those among male students. Conclusions: Self-control was a mediator in the association between social isolation and internet gaming disorder. Moreover, gender played a moderating role in the association between social isolation and internet gaming disorder. This study highlights the need to alleviate the development of internet gaming disorder among students during a pandemic, especially that of male students. Effective interventions that lessen social isolation and promote self-control should be developed. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/52978",
url="https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e52978",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/52978"
}