Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Volume 25, Issue 3 (6-2026)
JRUMS 2026, 25(3): 239-252 |
Back to browse issues page
Ethics code: IR.IAU.CTB.REC.1404.229
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Ghorbani S, Poursalehi Navideh M. The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship between Psychological Distress and Game Addiction Disorder in Adolescents:
A Descriptive Study. JRUMS 2026; 25 (3) :239-252
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7955-en.html
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7955-en.html
2. PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Tehran East Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Full-Text [PDF 412 kb]
(16 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (22 Views)
Full-Text: (11 Views)
The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship between Psychological Distress and Game Addiction Disorder in Adolescents:
A Descriptive Study
Sheida Ghorbani[1], Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh[2]
Received: 04/04/26 Sent for Revision: 03/05/26 Received Revised Manuscript: 13/06/26 Accepted: 14/06/26
Background and Objectives: Digital gaming addiction is one of the mental health challenges in adolescents, and psychological distress has been identified as its underlying factor. This study aimed to determine the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between psychological distress and gaming addiction disorder in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-correlational study using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the study consisted of senior high school students in public schools in Tehran in the academic
year 2025-2026; of them, 314 students were selected using multistage cluster random sampling. The main data collection instruments included the Psychological Distress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), the Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (Bond et al., 2011), and the Digital Game Addiction Scale (Matinfar et al., 2017). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and structural equation modeling.
Results: The findings indicated that psychological distress had a significant positive effect on game addiction disorder
(β=0.41, p<0.01). Also, experiential avoidance was a significant predictor of game addiction disorder (β=0.45, p<0.01). Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was observed between psychological distress and experiential avoidance
(β=0.28, p<0.01). The results indicated a significant indirect effect of psychological distress on gaming addiction disorder through experiential avoidance (β=0.13, p<0.01) and a significant total effect of psychological distress on this disorder
(β=0.54, p<0.01) among adolescents.
Conclusion: The findings indicated the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between psychological distress and gaming addiction. Accordingly, screening programs and interventions based on psychological resilience are suggested in schools.
Keywords: Game addiction disorder, Experiential avoidance, Psychological distress, Adolescents
Funding: This study did not receive any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical considerations: The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, approved the study (IR.IAU.CTB.REC.1404.229).
Authors’ contributions:
- Conceptualization: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
- Methodology: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
- Data collection: Sheida Ghorbani
- Formal analysis: Sheida Ghorbani
- Supervision: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh
- Project administration: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh
- Writing – original draft: Sheida Ghorbani
- Writing – review & editing: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
- Writing - review and editing: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
A Descriptive Study
Sheida Ghorbani[1], Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh[2]
Received: 04/04/26 Sent for Revision: 03/05/26 Received Revised Manuscript: 13/06/26 Accepted: 14/06/26
Background and Objectives: Digital gaming addiction is one of the mental health challenges in adolescents, and psychological distress has been identified as its underlying factor. This study aimed to determine the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between psychological distress and gaming addiction disorder in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-correlational study using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the study consisted of senior high school students in public schools in Tehran in the academic
year 2025-2026; of them, 314 students were selected using multistage cluster random sampling. The main data collection instruments included the Psychological Distress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), the Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (Bond et al., 2011), and the Digital Game Addiction Scale (Matinfar et al., 2017). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and structural equation modeling.
Results: The findings indicated that psychological distress had a significant positive effect on game addiction disorder
(β=0.41, p<0.01). Also, experiential avoidance was a significant predictor of game addiction disorder (β=0.45, p<0.01). Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was observed between psychological distress and experiential avoidance
(β=0.28, p<0.01). The results indicated a significant indirect effect of psychological distress on gaming addiction disorder through experiential avoidance (β=0.13, p<0.01) and a significant total effect of psychological distress on this disorder
(β=0.54, p<0.01) among adolescents.
Conclusion: The findings indicated the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between psychological distress and gaming addiction. Accordingly, screening programs and interventions based on psychological resilience are suggested in schools.
Keywords: Game addiction disorder, Experiential avoidance, Psychological distress, Adolescents
Funding: This study did not receive any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical considerations: The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, approved the study (IR.IAU.CTB.REC.1404.229).
Authors’ contributions:
- Conceptualization: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
- Methodology: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
- Data collection: Sheida Ghorbani
- Formal analysis: Sheida Ghorbani
- Supervision: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh
- Project administration: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh
- Writing – original draft: Sheida Ghorbani
- Writing – review & editing: Marzieh Poursalehi Navideh, Sheida Ghorbani
|
Citation: Ghorbani Sh, Poursalehi Navideh M. The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship between Psychological Distress and Game Addiction Disorder in Adolescents: A Descriptive Study. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2026; 25 (3): 239-52. doi: 10.66224/jrums.25.3.239. [Farsi].
|
[1]- MA Student, Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
[2]- PhD, Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Tehran East Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, ORCID: 0000-0001-5296-9778
(Corresponding Author) Tel: 09365863987, E-mail: Marzieh.Poursalehy@iau.ac.ir
(Corresponding Author) Tel: 09365863987, E-mail: Marzieh.Poursalehy@iau.ac.ir
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Psychiatry
Received: 2026/04/4 | Accepted: 2026/07/26 | Published: 2026/06/20
Received: 2026/04/4 | Accepted: 2026/07/26 | Published: 2026/06/20
References
1. Xie Y, Tang L. The symptom network of internet gaming addiction, depression, and anxiety among children and adolescents. Scientific Reports 2024; 14(1): 29732.
2. Sharma R, Weinstein AM. Recent treatment and novel imaging studies evaluating treatment of internet gaming disorder: A narrative review. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024; 15: 1408560.
3. WHO. International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (11th Revision). 2018.
4. Pan Y, Motevalli S, Yu L. The relationship between game addiction and aggression among adolescents with mediating role of narcissism and self-control. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry 2024; 19(3): 274.
5. Akçakese A, Demirel M. Recreational awareness prevents digital game addiction associated with social exclusion in adolescents. World Leisure Journal 2025; 67(1): 54-73.
6. Falcione K, Weber R. Psychopathology and Gaming Disorder in Adolescents. JAMA Network Open 2025; 8(7): e2528532.
7. Caba-Machado V, Díaz-López A, Machimbarrena JM, Gonzalez-Cabrera J. Fear of missing out, gaming disorder and internet gaming disorder: Systematic review. Current Addiction Reports 2024; 11(6): 1006-15.
8. Bayanfar F, Khatami SMH, Halakouyi Filabadi Z, Rajaee Manesh AR. Model testing of internet gaming addiction based on academic performance decline, concentration skills and aggressive behaviors with mediation of family life events and changes. Family Psychology 2021; 8(2): 39-56.
9. Niazi M, Shafaei Moghadam E, Hassanzadeh Z. Relationship between computer game addiction and adolescent loneliness; case study of male middle school students in Kashan in 2016. Cultural Research in Iran 2019; 12(1(45)): 85-108.
10. Deng X, Hu YB, Liu CY, Li Q, Yang N, Zhang QY, et al. Psychological distress and aggression among adolescents with internet gaming disorder symptoms. Psychiatry Research 2024; 331: 115624.
11. Cheng Y, Jiang S, Chen J. Academic expectation stress and online gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of stress mindset. Children and Youth Services Review 2024; 158: 107492.
12. Ameri N, Jamali S. The Effectiveness of Self-Compassion-Based Mindfulness Training on Psychological Distress and Craving in Stimulant-Dependent People. Etiad Pajohi 2024; 17(70): 107-28. [Farsi]
13. Xie Y, Tang L. The symptom network of internet gaming addiction, depression, and anxiety among children and adolescents. Scientific Reports 2024; 14(1): 29732.
14. She R, Lin J, Wong KM, Yang X. Cognitive-behavioral statuses in depression and internet gaming disorder of adolescents: A transdiagnostic approach. Plos One 2024; 19(7): e0304715.
15. Ameri N, Najafi M. Structural relationships of emotional inadequacy and tendency to risky behaviors in adolescents: the mediating role of psychological flexibility. Journal of Psychology 2024; 2(28): 142-51. [Farsi]
16. Kabakcı B, Traş Z. The Roles of Internet Addiction and Cyberbullying Sensitivity for Prediction of University Students' Psychological Inflexibility. Ahmet Keleşoğlu Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 2024; 6(1): 30-42.
17. Wang J, Tang L, Liu Y, Wu X, Zhou Z, Zhu S. Physical activity moderates the mediating role of depression between experiential avoidance and Internet addiction. Scientific Reports 2025; 15(1): 20704.
18. Yi Z, Wang W, Wang N, Liu Y. The relationship between empirical avoidance, anxiety, difficulty describing feelings and internet addiction among college students: A moderated mediation model. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2025; 1-17.
19. Alkal A. The Role of Psychological Flexibility and Emotion Regulation in the Relationship between Smartphone Addiction and Psychological Wellbeing in Adolescents: Three-Wave Longitudinal Serial Mediation Study. 2025.
20. Habibi A, Kolahi B. Structural equation modeling and factor analysis. 2nd ed. Tehran: Jahad Daneshgahi; 2022; 69-71.
21. Matinfar AR, Yadollahi S, Poursalehi Navideh M. Construction and normalization of digital game addiction scale. Completed project approved by Cyberspace Organization (Shadow of Hope Research Team). 2017.
22. Lovibond PF, Lovibond SH. The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour research and therapy 1995; 33(3): 335-43.
23. Ameri N, Najafi M. The mediating role of psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) in the relationship between experiential avoidance and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Psychol Stud 2021; 17(4): 11-31. [Farsi]
24. Bond FW, Hayes SC, Baer RA, Carpenter KM, Guenole N, Orcutt HK, et al. Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior therapy 2011; 42(4): 676-88.
25. Blunch NJ. Introduction to structural equation modeling using IBM SPSS Statistics and EQS. London: SAGE Publications Ltd; 2015: 360.
26. Holmes TH, Rahe RH. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale. J Psychosom Res 1967; 11(2): 213-8.
27. Sanjari S, Tavan A, Abbasi H, Salajegheh A, Mohammadi Soliemani MR. Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Tehran Adolescent Aggression Scale: A Mixed-Methods Study. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci 2025; 619(4): e153646.
28. Xu X, Cao M, Chen Q, Xu F, Zhou Z. Escape the uncertainty by internet gaming: A serial mediation model of intolerance of uncertainty and internet gaming disorder. Personality and Individual Differences 2025; 233: 112917.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |