A structural equation model of the impact of maladaptive personality traits on problematic internet use: The serial mediating effects of metacognitions and emotion dysregulation

Background: Although the relationship between personality traits and problematic internet use (PIU) has been established, the underlying mechanisms that may account for this association remains unclear. Metacognitions and emotion dysregulation may partly explain this association. Therefore, the present study examined the serial mediating role of metacognitions and emotion dysregulation in the association between DSM-5 pathological personality domains and PIU. Method: A total of 610 university students completed the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF), Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized model. Results: The structural model provided a good fit to the data. Significant positive correlations were found between DSM-5 pathological personality domains and PIU. Metacognitions and emotion dysregulation neglibly and serially mediated the association between DSM-5 pathological personality domains and PIU symptoms. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional study which could not infer causality. Conclusion: The findings showed that metacognitions and emotion dysregulation may partly explain the association between maladaptive personality traits and PIU. The present study contributes to understanding the mechanisms that underlie the complex effects of maladaptive personality traits on PIU.