Peer bullying victimisation and depressive symptoms as serial mediators between attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: A three‐wave longitudinal study

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Background: The association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and internet gaming disorder (IGD) is well-established, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain underexplored. Aims: Grounded in the dual failure model and the compensatory internet use model, this study examined peer bullying victimisation and depressive symptoms as serial mediators in the longitudinal association between ADHD symptoms and IGD severity among 20 137 Chinese adolescents. Methods: Participants were assessed at baseline (T1, November 2020) and followed up at one (T2) and two years (T3). Standardised measures assessed peer bullying victimisation (Multidimensional Peer Victimisation Scale), ADHD symptoms (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire) and IGD severity (Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form). Longitudinal path analysis with serial mediation tested the hypothesised pathway, adjusting for baseline covariates and prior symptoms. Subgroup analyses examined sex and developmental (early vs. late adolescence) differences. Sensitivity analyses included alternative mediation models, cross-lagged panel models and parallel-process latent growth curve models. Results: Baseline ADHD symptoms directly predicted IGD severity and indirectly through peer bullying victimisation and depressive symptoms. These mediators accounted for one-third of the total effect. The bullying-related mediation pathway was evident only among boys and early adolescents, whereas depressive symptoms consistently mediated the association across sexes and age groups. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness and temporal specificity of the proposed pathway. Conclusions: ADHD symptoms increase the risk of subsequent IGD through both direct and indirect pathways operating through peer bullying victimisation and depressive symptoms. This social-emotional mediation process is developmentally and sex contingent. These findings suggest that effective prevention and intervention for IGD in adolescents with ADHD should incorporate developmentally and sex-sensitive strategies that address peer victimisation and emotional distress in addition to core ADHD symptoms.

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