Lai, C.M.C.M.LaiMak, K.K.K.K.MakWatanabe, H.H.WatanabeJeong, J.J.JeongKim, D.D.KimBahar, N.N.BaharRamos, M.M.RamosChen, S.H.S.H.ChenSUE-HUEI CHEN2020-07-102020-07-102015https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/509720Objectives: This study examines the associations of Internet addiction with social anxiety, depression, and psychosocial well-being among Asian adolescents. A self-medication model conceptualizing Internet addiction as a mediating role in relating depression and social anxiety to negative psychosocial well-being was tested. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey. Methods: In the Asian Adolescent Risk Behavior Survey (AARBS), 5366 adolescents aged 12-18 years from six Asian countries (China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Philippines) completed a questionnaire with items of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Self-Rated Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA-SR) in the 2012-2013 school year. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the mediating role of Internet addiction in depression, social anxiety, and subjective psychosocial well-being. Results: Significant differences on the scores of IAT, SAS-A, CESD, and HoNOSCA-SR across the six countries were found. The proposed self-medication model of Internet addiction received satisfactory goodness-of-fit with data of all countries. After the path from social anxiety to Internet addiction had been discarded in the revised model, there was a significant improvement of the goodness-of-fit in the models for Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Conclusions: Depression and social anxiety reciprocally influenced, whereas depression associated with poorer psychosocial well-being directly and indirectly through Internet addiction in all six countries. Internet addiction mediated the association between social anxiety and poor psychosocial well-being in China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. ? 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health.[SDGs]SDG3epidemiology; Internet; mental health; numerical model; psychology; social behavior; young population; adolescent; adult; anxiety; anxiety assessment; Article; Asian; behavior disorder assessment; Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; China; cross-sectional study; depression; female; Hong Kong; human; internet addiction; Internet Addiction Test; Japan; Malaysia; male; Philippines; psychological well being; Self Rated Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents; social anxiety; Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents; South Korea; structural equation modeling; addiction; adolescent behavior; anxiety; Asia; child; depression; Internet; psychological model; psychology; questionnaire; social behavior; utilization; China; Hong Kong; Japan; Malaysia; Philippines; South Korea; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Anxiety; Asia; Behavior, Addictive; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Female; Humans; Internet; Male; Models, Psychological; Social Behavior; Surveys and Questionnairesjournal article10.1016/j.puhe.2015.07.0312-s2.0-84941880142https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941880142&doi=10.1016%2fj.puhe.2015.07.031&partnerID=40&md5=01d8d5b531db14f23927cdd5cbae613d