Associations between sense of coherence, psychological distress, escape motivation of internet use, and internet addiction among Chinese college students: A structural equation model

Internet addiction (IA) is a common public health problem among college students, but little is known about the psychological mechanism of its relation to sense of coherence. This study extends previous literature by examining the associations between sense of coherence, psychological distress, escape motivation, and IA. Cluster random sampling is used to obtain a sample of Chinese college students (N = 4171, Mean age = 19.26, SD = 1.18) through an online survey. Data are analyzed by using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that sense of coherence not only directly predicts IA, but also indirectly affects IA through the mediators of psychological distress and escape motivation of Internet use. In particular, sense of coherence decreases the level of psychological distress (β = −0.639, p < 0.001), which in turn, increases the level of escape motivation (β = 0.353, p < 0.001), thereby positively predicting IA (β = 0.339, p < 0.001) among Chinese college students. This study contributes to the current knowledge of the protective and risk factors of IA and reveals the psychological mechanisms from sense of coherence to IA. Practical implications are also provided for clinical interventions to reduce IA among Chinese college students.