Generalized problematic internet use, emotional regulation and self-esteem in adults

• Autor(a) principal: Maia, B. R.
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Morgado, P.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/40569
• topic: Adults; Emotional regulation; Generalized problematic internet use; Self-esteem

Introduction: Many internationally studies, in the last two decades, found problematic internet use associated with a variety of psychosocial problems, but in Portugal this is a recent research question specially in adults. Objectives: To explore the relationship between problematic Internet use, emotional regulation and self-esteem. Methods: 138 Portuguese subjects (77.5% females), with a mean age of 27.76 years old (SD = 8.98, range: 18-58) filled in the Portuguese versions of the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: Negative consequences subscale of generalized problematic internet use was positively correlated with all the emotional regulation difficulties subscales and negatively with Self-Esteem, and positively with daily hours of internet usage. A similar result was found for Self-Deficient Regulation subscale, except for Clarity subscale. Mood Regulation was correlated with Strategies, Goals and Self-Esteem. Males showed higher levels of Negative Consequences. Age and age onset of Internet use were negatively correlated with Mood Regulation, Self-Deficient Regulation and Negative Consequences. A statistically significant difference in Mood Regulation, Self-Deficient Regulation and Negative Consequences in marital status levels, and in professional situation, with higher median scores in divorced and single without a relationship and in student subjects; no significant differences were found in educational level. Conclusions: Generalized problematic Internet use, especially their Negative Consequences, is associated with higher emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem, lower age and lower age of Internet onset, being divorced or single without a relationship and being student, and it is more prevalent in males.