Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Media Addiction
-
Maryam Chegeni
,
Nouzar Nakhaee
,
Negar Sangsefidi
,
Shakila Zarrinnegar
,
Zahra Khorrami
,
Parvin Mangolian Shahrbabaki
,
Mahin Eslami Shahrbabaki
,
Ali-Akbar Haghdoost
Abstract
Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to various behavioral and psychological issues. This study explored the relationship between ACEs and social media addiction (SMA), examining the mediating role of quality of life (QoL) and the moderating effect of occupational status.
Methods: Overall, 1,247 adults (55.4% females), aged 19 to 65 yr, were recruited through convenience sampling in Kerman, southeast Iran. Validated Persian versions of the ACE-ASF, WHOQOL-BREF, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale were used. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) assessed direct, indirect, and moderated pathways.
Results: ACEs were significantly associated with higher SMA (β=0.088, P=0.002) and lower QoL (β = –0.234, P<0.001). QoL was inversely related to SMA (β = –0.225, P<0.001), and partially mediated the ACE–SMA relationship (β=0.053, P < 0.001). Occupational status moderated the effects of ACEs on both QoL (β=0.066, P=0.021) and SMA (β= –0.055, P=0.046), Higher job levels reduced adverse effects. However, no significant moderation was found in the QoL–SMA path.
Conclusion: ACEs significantly increase the risk of SMA, partly through reduced QoL. Improving occupational status and QoL can reduce the long-term behavioral effects of childhood adversity.
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16. Nelson S, Beveridge JK, Mychasiuk R, Noel M (2021). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and internalizing mental health, pain, and quality of life in youth with chronic pain: a longitudinal examination. J Pain, 22(10):1210-1220.
17. Jia H, Lubetkin EI (2020). Impact of adverse childhood experiences on quality-adjusted life expectancy in the US population. Child Abuse Negl, 102: 104418.
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19. Gnapika M, Kour B, Dadhwal A, Ranjan R (2022). Effect of Social Media Addiction on Aggression and Overall Quality of Life on Undergraduate Students. Neuroquantology, 20(17): 1418-1425.
20. Cheng C, Li AY-l (2014). Internet addiction prevalence and quality of (real) life: A meta-analysis of 31 nations across seven world regions. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 17(12): 755-760.
21. Koçak O, İlme E, Younis MZ (2021). Mediating role of satisfaction with life in the effect of self-esteem and education on social media addiction in Turkey. Sustainability, 13(16): 9097.
22. Rojo-Mota G, Pedrero-Pérez EJ, Huertas-Hoyas E (2017). Systematic review of occupational therapy in the treatment of addiction: Models, practice, and qualitative and quantitative research. Am J Occup Ther, 71(5): 7105100030p1-7105100030p11.
23. Wilburn VG, Huber ME, Senter D, Stoll HB (2022). Considerations for occupational therapists in developing community-level interventions for youth with high adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 10(1): 1-7.
24. Luo A, Kong W, He H, Li Y, Xie W (2022). Status and influencing factors of social media addiction in Chinese medical care professionals: a cross-sectional survey. Front Psychol, 13: 888714.
25. Romero-Tébar A, Rodríguez-Hernández M, Segura-Fragoso A, Cantero-Garlito PA (2021). Analysis of occupational balance and its relation to problematic internet use in university occupational therapy students. Healthcare, 9(2): 197.
26. Anda RF, Fleisher VI, Felitti VJ, Edwards VJ, Whitfield CL, Dube SR, et al. (2004). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and indicators of impaired adult worker performance. Perm J, 8(1): 30-38.
27. Safaei Pour M, Maveddat E (2013). Assessment of areas with an emphasis on social indicators-economic and human development indicators in combination with the use of GIS techniques and TOPSIS. Urban Structure and Function Studies, 1(3): 11-27.
28. Chegeni M, Haghdoost A, Shahrbabaki ME, et al (2020). Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the adverse childhood experiences abuse short form. J Educ Health Promot, 9: 140.
29. World Health Organization (2004). The World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL) - BREF. Geneva: World Health Organization.
30. Yousefy AR, Ghassemi GR, Sarrafzadegan N, et al (2010). Psychometric properties of the WHOQoL-BREF in an Iranian adult sample. Community Ment Health J, 46(2): 139-147.
31. Andreassen CS, Billieux J, Griffiths MD, et al. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychol Addict Behav, 30(2): 252-262.
32. Lin C-Y, Broström A, Nilsen P, et al (2017). Psychometric validation of the Persian Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale using classic test theory and Rasch models. J Behav Addict, 6(4): 620-629.
33. Bányai F, Zsila Á, Király O, et al. (2017). Problematic social media use: Results from a large-scale nationally representative adolescent sample. PLoS One, 12(1): e0169839.
34. Chegeni M, Nakhaee N, Shahrbabaki PM, et al (2023). Does childhood trauma associate with social media addiction? A cross-sectional study from Iran. Int J Ment Health Ad, 21(6): 3637-3649.
35. Kircaburun K, Griffiths MD, Billieux J (2020). Childhood emotional maltreatment and problematic social media use among adolescents: The mediating role of body image dissatisfaction. Int J Ment Health Ad, 18(6): 1536-1547.
36. Brand M, Müller A, Wegmann E, et al. (2025). Current interpretations of the I-PACE model of behavioral addictions. J Behav Addict, 14(1): 1-17.
37. Masheb RM, Sala M, Marsh AG, et al (2021). Associations between adverse childhood experiences and weight, weight control behaviors and quality of life in Veterans seeking weight management services. Eat Behav, 40: 101461.
38. Topitzes J, Pate DJ, Berman ND, Medina-Kirchner C (2016). Adverse childhood experiences, health, and employment: A study of men seeking job services. Child Abuse Negl, 61: 23-34.
39. Jahagirdar V, Sequeira LA, Kinattingal N, et al. (2024). Assessment of the impact of social media addiction on psychosocial behaviour like depression, stress, and anxiety in working professionals. BMC Psychol, 12(1): 352.
2. Smith A, Anderson M (2018). Social Media Use in 2018. Pew Research Center. Available from: http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/ [Last accessed on 2018 May 20].
3. Longstreet P, Brooks S (2017). Life satisfaction: A key to managing internet & social media addiction. Technol Soc, 50: 73-77.
4. Sun Y, Zhang Y (2021). A review of theories and models applied in studies of social media addiction and implications for future research. Addict Behav, 114: 106699.
5. Kolhar M, Kazi RNA, Alameen A (2021). Effect of social media use on learning, social interactions, and sleep duration among university students. Saudi J Biol Sci, 28(4): 2216-2222.
6. Li W, Zhang X, Chu M, Li G (2020). The impact of adverse childhood experiences on mobile phone addiction in Chinese college students: A serial multiple mediator model. Front Psychol, 11: 834.
7. Hughes K, Bellis MA, Hardcastle KA, et al. (2017). The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health, 2(8): e356-e366.
8. Brand M, Wegmann E, Stark R, Müller A, Wölfling K, Robbins TW, et al. (2019). The Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model for addictive behaviors: Update, generalization to addictive behaviors beyond internet-use disorders, and specification of the process character of addictive behaviors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 104: 1-10.
9. Zilberman N, Yadid G, Efrati Y, Rassovsky Y (2019). Negative and positive life events and their relation to substance and behavioral addictions. Drug Alcohol Depend, 204: 107562.
10. Worsley JD, McIntyre JC, Bentall RP, Corcoran R (2018). Childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use: The role of attachment and depression. Psychiatry Res, 267: 88-93.
11. Hao F, Li P, Liang Z, Geng J (2024). The association between childhood adverse experiences and internet addiction: A meta-analysis. Acta Psychol (Amst), 246: 104270.
12. Wang M, Xu Q, He N (2021). Perceived interparental conflict and problematic social media use among Chinese adolescents: The mediating roles of self-esteem and maladaptive cognition toward social network sites. Addict Behav, 112: 106601.
13. Chen D, Lin L, Feng X, Luo S, Xiang H, Qin K, et al. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences, problematic internet use, and health-related quality of life in Chinese adolescents. Eur J Psychotraumatol, 14(2): 2218248.
14. The WHOQOL Group (1995). The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): position paper from the World Health Organization. Soc Sci Med, 41(10): 1403-1409.
15. Cohrdes C, Mauz E (2020). Self-efficacy and emotional stability buffer negative effects of adverse childhood experiences on young adult health-related quality of life. J Adolesc Health, 67(1): 93-100.
16. Nelson S, Beveridge JK, Mychasiuk R, Noel M (2021). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and internalizing mental health, pain, and quality of life in youth with chronic pain: a longitudinal examination. J Pain, 22(10):1210-1220.
17. Jia H, Lubetkin EI (2020). Impact of adverse childhood experiences on quality-adjusted life expectancy in the US population. Child Abuse Negl, 102: 104418.
18. Dam VAT, Dao NG, Nguyen DC, et al. (2023). Quality of life and mental health of adolescents: Relationships with social media addiction, Fear of Missing out, and stress associated with neglect and negative reactions by online peers. PLoS One, 18(6): e0286766.
19. Gnapika M, Kour B, Dadhwal A, Ranjan R (2022). Effect of Social Media Addiction on Aggression and Overall Quality of Life on Undergraduate Students. Neuroquantology, 20(17): 1418-1425.
20. Cheng C, Li AY-l (2014). Internet addiction prevalence and quality of (real) life: A meta-analysis of 31 nations across seven world regions. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 17(12): 755-760.
21. Koçak O, İlme E, Younis MZ (2021). Mediating role of satisfaction with life in the effect of self-esteem and education on social media addiction in Turkey. Sustainability, 13(16): 9097.
22. Rojo-Mota G, Pedrero-Pérez EJ, Huertas-Hoyas E (2017). Systematic review of occupational therapy in the treatment of addiction: Models, practice, and qualitative and quantitative research. Am J Occup Ther, 71(5): 7105100030p1-7105100030p11.
23. Wilburn VG, Huber ME, Senter D, Stoll HB (2022). Considerations for occupational therapists in developing community-level interventions for youth with high adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 10(1): 1-7.
24. Luo A, Kong W, He H, Li Y, Xie W (2022). Status and influencing factors of social media addiction in Chinese medical care professionals: a cross-sectional survey. Front Psychol, 13: 888714.
25. Romero-Tébar A, Rodríguez-Hernández M, Segura-Fragoso A, Cantero-Garlito PA (2021). Analysis of occupational balance and its relation to problematic internet use in university occupational therapy students. Healthcare, 9(2): 197.
26. Anda RF, Fleisher VI, Felitti VJ, Edwards VJ, Whitfield CL, Dube SR, et al. (2004). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and indicators of impaired adult worker performance. Perm J, 8(1): 30-38.
27. Safaei Pour M, Maveddat E (2013). Assessment of areas with an emphasis on social indicators-economic and human development indicators in combination with the use of GIS techniques and TOPSIS. Urban Structure and Function Studies, 1(3): 11-27.
28. Chegeni M, Haghdoost A, Shahrbabaki ME, et al (2020). Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the adverse childhood experiences abuse short form. J Educ Health Promot, 9: 140.
29. World Health Organization (2004). The World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL) - BREF. Geneva: World Health Organization.
30. Yousefy AR, Ghassemi GR, Sarrafzadegan N, et al (2010). Psychometric properties of the WHOQoL-BREF in an Iranian adult sample. Community Ment Health J, 46(2): 139-147.
31. Andreassen CS, Billieux J, Griffiths MD, et al. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychol Addict Behav, 30(2): 252-262.
32. Lin C-Y, Broström A, Nilsen P, et al (2017). Psychometric validation of the Persian Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale using classic test theory and Rasch models. J Behav Addict, 6(4): 620-629.
33. Bányai F, Zsila Á, Király O, et al. (2017). Problematic social media use: Results from a large-scale nationally representative adolescent sample. PLoS One, 12(1): e0169839.
34. Chegeni M, Nakhaee N, Shahrbabaki PM, et al (2023). Does childhood trauma associate with social media addiction? A cross-sectional study from Iran. Int J Ment Health Ad, 21(6): 3637-3649.
35. Kircaburun K, Griffiths MD, Billieux J (2020). Childhood emotional maltreatment and problematic social media use among adolescents: The mediating role of body image dissatisfaction. Int J Ment Health Ad, 18(6): 1536-1547.
36. Brand M, Müller A, Wegmann E, et al. (2025). Current interpretations of the I-PACE model of behavioral addictions. J Behav Addict, 14(1): 1-17.
37. Masheb RM, Sala M, Marsh AG, et al (2021). Associations between adverse childhood experiences and weight, weight control behaviors and quality of life in Veterans seeking weight management services. Eat Behav, 40: 101461.
38. Topitzes J, Pate DJ, Berman ND, Medina-Kirchner C (2016). Adverse childhood experiences, health, and employment: A study of men seeking job services. Child Abuse Negl, 61: 23-34.
39. Jahagirdar V, Sequeira LA, Kinattingal N, et al. (2024). Assessment of the impact of social media addiction on psychosocial behaviour like depression, stress, and anxiety in working professionals. BMC Psychol, 12(1): 352.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 12 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Adverse childhood experiences Social media addiction Quality of life Occupation Structural equation modeling Iranian population | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Chegeni M, Nakhaee N, Sangsefidi N, Zarrinnegar S, Khorrami Z, Mangolian Shahrbabaki P, Eslami Shahrbabaki M, Haghdoost A-A. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Media Addiction. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(12):2735-2744.
