Internet addiction and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students: the mediating role of psychotic-like experiences

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Internet addiction (IA) are at significant risk of suicide-related behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among IA, psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), and suicidal ideation (SI) among college students. METHODS: A total of 5,366 college students (34.4% male, mean age 20.02 years) were assessed using the self-compiled sociodemographic questionnaires, Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R), 15-item Positive subscale of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE-P15), Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale (SIOSS), and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). RESULTS: The prevalence of IA and SI were 9.3 and 12.1% among Chinese college students, respectively. There were direct effects of IA and PLEs on SI. The total effect of IA on SI was 0.18 (p < 0.001). PLEs mediated the relationship between IA and SI (Indirect effect = 0.07). CONCLUSION: IA had both direct and indirect effects on SI. These findings enable us to elucidate the mechanism of how IA influences individual SI, which can provide vital information for developing and implementing targeted interventions and strategies to alleviate SI among Chinese college students.