The Role of Perceived Loneliness in Youth Addictive Behaviors: Cross-National Survey Study

Abstract

Background: In the ever-growing and technologically advancing world, an increasing amount of social interaction takes place through the Web. With this change, loneliness is becoming an unprecedented societal issue, making youth more susceptible to various physical and mental health problems. This societal change also influences the dynamics of addiction.

Objective: Employing the cognitive discrepancy loneliness model, this study aimed to provide a social psychological perspective on youth addictions.

Methods: A comprehensive survey was used to collect data from American (N=1212