Objective:To investigate the characteristics of Internet addiction(IA)in adolescents with depression and explore its relationship with impulsivity and aggressive personality traits.Methods:A total of 71 adolescent patients with depressive disorders were recruited from the Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Peking University Sixth Hospital between April 2021 and November 2022 (15 males, 56 females; median age 14 [13, 15] years) as the depressive disorder group. Additionally, 83 healthy adolescents (27 males, 56 females; median age 14 [13, 17] years) were recruited as the control group during the same period. Internet addiction was assed using the Chinese version of Young′s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), with a total score≥50 indicating internet addiction. Impulsivity was evaluated using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11(BIS-11), and aggression was measured with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire(BPAQ). Differences in internet addiction, impulsivity, and aggression between the depression group and the control group were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between internet addiction and impulsivity, aggression. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing internet addiction, and a parallel mediation model was used to examine the mediating effect of impulsivity and aggressive personality traits in the relationship between depressive disorders and internet addiction.Results:The prevalence of IA was significantly higher in adolescents with depression than the healthy control group [57.75%(41/71) vs 31.33%(26/83); χ 2=10.87, P<0.001]. Adolescents with depressive disorders also exhibited higher impulsivity (65.5±9.2 vs 57.0±9.2, t=-5.72, P<0.001) and aggression (56.3±16.0 vs 42.4±15.1, t=-5.13, P<0.001) compared to the control group. Internet addiction was positively correlated with aggression ( r=0.47, P<0.01) and impulsivity ( r=0.57, P<0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis with the YIAT total score as the dependent variable revealed that impulsivity ( β=0.48, P<0.001) and aggression ( β=0.24, P<0.001) significantly predicted internet addiction. Mediation analysis indicated that depressive disorders indirectly indirectly influenced internet addiction through parallel paths of impulsivity and aggression, with a total indirect effect of 0.543 (95% CI: 0.362-0.761). Conversely, internect addiction influenced depressive disorders through reverse parallel pathway of impulsivity and aggression with a total indirect effect of 0.038 (95% CI: 0.021-0.067). Direct effects were not significant in either direction. Conclusion:Adolescents with depressive disorders exhibit more internet addiction. Impulsivity and aggressive personality traits play bidirectional mediating roles in the relationship between depressive disorders and internet addiction.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of Internet addiction(IA)in adolescents with depression and explore its relationship with impulsivity and aggressive personality traits.Methods:A total of 71 adolescent patients with depressive disorders were recruited from the Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Peking University Sixth Hospital between April 2021 and November 2022 (15 males, 56 females; median age 14 [13, 15] years) as the depressive disorder group. Additionally, 83 healthy adolescents (27 males, 56 females; median age 14 [13, 17] years) were recruited as the control group during the same period. Internet addiction was assed using the Chinese version of Young′s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), with a total score≥50 indicating internet addiction. Impulsivity was evaluated using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11(BIS-11), and aggression was measured with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire(BPAQ). Differences in internet addiction, impulsivity, and aggression between the depression group and the control group were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between internet addiction and impulsivity, aggression. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing internet addiction, and a parallel mediation model was used to examine the mediating effect of impulsivity and aggressive personality traits in the relationship between depressive disorders and internet addiction.Results:The prevalence of IA was significantly higher in adolescents with depression than the healthy control group [57.75%(41/71) vs 31.33%(26/83); χ 2=10.87, P<0.001]. Adolescents with depressive disorders also exhibited higher impulsivity (65.5±9.2 vs 57.0±9.2, t=-5.72, P<0.001) and aggression (56.3±16.0 vs 42.4±15.1, t=-5.13, P<0.001) compared to the control group. Internet addiction was positively correlated with aggression ( r=0.47, P<0.01) and impulsivity ( r=0.57, P<0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis with the YIAT total score as the dependent variable revealed that impulsivity ( β=0.48, P<0.001) and aggression ( β=0.24, P<0.001) significantly predicted internet addiction. Mediation analysis indicated that depressive disorders indirectly indirectly influenced internet addiction through parallel paths of impulsivity and aggression, with a total indirect effect of 0.543 (95% CI: 0.362-0.761). Conversely, internect addiction influenced depressive disorders through reverse parallel pathway of impulsivity and aggression with a total indirect effect of 0.038 (95% CI: 0.021-0.067). Direct effects were not significant in either direction. Conclusion:Adolescents with depressive disorders exhibit more internet addiction. Impulsivity and aggressive personality traits play bidirectional mediating roles in the relationship between depressive disorders and internet addiction.