Table 3.
Unadjusted and adjusted structural equation modeling showing whether self-esteem and peer connectedness mediated the relationship between active social media use and mental health.
| Effect | Active social media use at age 12 or 13 coefficient | Self-esteem coefficient | Number of close friends coefficient | Happiness with friends coefficient | |||||
| Unadjusted model (N=2569) | |||||||||
|
|
Self-esteem | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −0.10 (−0.18 to −0.02)a | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirectb | N/Ac | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Number of close friends | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −0.33 (−0.37 to 1.03) | 2.48 (0.72 to 4.23)d | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Happiness with friends | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −0.27 (−0.49 to −0.05)e | 0.98 (0.47 to 1.50)f | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Poor mental health at age 14 or 15 years | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | 0.33 (−0.37 to 1.03) | −6.80 (−8.22 to −5.36)f | −0.02 (−0.08 to 0.04) | −0.15 (−0.70 to 0.41) | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | 0.70 (0.15-1.30g | 0.01 (−0.03 to 0.06) | 0.04 (−0.12 to 0.22) | |||
| Adjusted model (N=2316) | |||||||||
|
|
Self-esteem | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −0.05 (−0.11 to 0.02) | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Number of close friends | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −1.05 (−2.50 to −0.05) | 0.68 (−1.05 to 2.41) | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Happiness with friends | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | −0.26 (−0.53 to 1.73) | 1.11 (0.51 to 1.72)f | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
|
|
Poor mental health at age 14 or 15 years | ||||||||
|
|
|
Direct | 0.02 (−0.72 to 0.75) | −5.34 (−7.31 to −3.36)f | −0.05 (−0.12 to 0.02) | 0.10 (−0.41 to 0.60) | |||
|
|
|
Indirect | N/A | 0.24 (−0.12 to 0.66) | 0.06 (−0.03 to 0.20) | −0.03 (−0.20 to 0.12) | |||
aP=.01.
bIndirect effects are Monte Carlo estimates. Coefficients unstandardized.
cN/A: not applicable.
dP=.006.
eP=.01.
fP<.001.
gP=.02.