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Background <p>Improving 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.</p> Methods <p>A 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.</p> Results <p>The 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, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and anxiety (β = 2.338, <i>p</i> &lt; 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).</p> Conclusion <p>IA 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.</p>

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Association between Internet addiction and mental health problems among Chinese adolescents in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: a propensity score matching study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月1日

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  • Yinmei Yang,
  • Weijia Zhao,
  • Xiaoman Wu,
  • Clifford Silver Tarimo,
  • Haiyang Feng,
  • Yongji Gao,
  • Jian Wu

摘要

Background

Improving 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.

Methods

A 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.

Results

The 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).

Conclusion

IA 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.