Evaluating a cross-lagged panel model between problematic internet use and psychological distress and cross-level mediation of school administrator support on problematic internet use: The serial mediating role of psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress

I-Hua Chen; Hsin-Pao Chen; Jeffrey H Gamble; Xiao Ling Liao; Xiu-Mei Chen; Ya-Ting Carolyn Yang; Amir H Pakpour; Mark D Griffiths; Chung-Ying Lin

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.987366

Evaluating a cross-lagged panel model between problematic internet use and psychological distress and cross-level mediation of school administrator support on problematic internet use: The serial mediating role of psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress

Front Public Health. 2022 Nov 2:10:987366. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.987366. eCollection 2022.

Authors

I-Hua Chen¹, Hsin-Pao Chen², Jeffrey H Gamble³, Xiao Ling Liao⁴, Xiu-Mei Chen⁵, Ya-Ting Carolyn Yang⁶, Amir H Pakpour⁷, Mark D Griffiths⁸, Chung-Ying Lin^{9

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Affiliations

¹ Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China.
² Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
³ Department of English, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan.
⁴ International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁵ Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China.
⁶ Institute of Education, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
⁸ International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
⁹ Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
¹¹ Biostatistics Consulting Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
¹² Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, many teachers across the globe, including teachers in China, were required to teach online. This shift to online teaching can easily result in psychological need thwarting (PNT) of teachers' psychological basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), leaving them vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes. Resulting negative emotional state may lead to problematic internet use (PIU), which can lead to further psychological distress, forming a vicious cycle.

Methods: The present study was conducted using a cross-lagged panel model (with longitudinal data) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) (with cross-sectional data). The aims were to investigate (i) the reciprocal relationships between two specific forms of PIU [problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic gaming (PG)] and psychological distress among schoolteachers, and (ii) the influence of administrators' support on schoolteachers' PIU through a cross-level serial mediation model (PNT of online teaching was the first mediator and psychological distress was the second mediator affected by PNT of online teaching). Primary and secondary schoolteachers (N = 980; mean age = 34.76; 82.90% females) participated in two surveys (Time 1: mid-November 2021; Time 2: early-January 2022).

Results: Results indicated that (i) high psychological distress at Time 1 was associated with increased levels of PSMU and PG at Time 2. Inversely, PG at Time 1 was associated with increased psychological distress at Time 2, although PSMU at Time 1 did not have a significant influence on psychological distress at Time 2; (ii) during Time 1, increased administrative support contributed to alleviating teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching, thereby lowering their psychological distress which, in turn, resulted in a decrease in PG.

Conclusion: PG had a stronger negative influence on teachers' psychological distress than PSMU. To relieve teachers' PG, administrative support can alleviate teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress. Based on this finding, school managers must consider effective ways to support teachers during mandatory online teaching.

Keywords: administrator support; problematic gaming; problematic internet use; problematic social media use; psychological distress; psychological needs thwarting; teacher.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Internet Use
Male
Psychological Distress*
Schools