Quality of interpersonal relationships and marital satisfaction of young people prone to internet-addictive behavior

Quality of interpersonal relationships and marital satisfaction of young people prone to internet-addictive behavior

 

Authors

 

A.A. Agarkov

Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation

K.A. Akulinina

Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk State University”, Tomsk, Russian Federation

N.I. Kisel

Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation

K.G. Chernysheva

Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation

E.V. Gutkevich

Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation; Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk State University”, Tomsk, Russian Federation

 

https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2025-4(129)-94-104

 

Journal: Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. 2025; 4 (129):  94-104.

 

Abstract

Backgroundof this study is determined by the growing role of internet technologies in everyday life and the interpersonal conflicts that arise in the marriages of young people prone to problematic internet use, which leads to decreased marital satisfaction and disruptions in family functioning. There is a need to assess the relationship between the severity of internet-dependent behavior, common in today's technologically advanced world, and the characteristics of family relationships in order to improve the quality of communication between spouses by developing effective strategies for maintaining and developing family relationships and strengthening marriage in the digital age. Objective: To identify the relationship between internet-dependent behavior in spouses and the quality of interpersonal relationships and marital satisfaction of young people as a factor influencing family functioning and adaptation in today's world. Materials and Methods. To test the hypothesis, a study was conducted online using the Yandex Form platform. A total of 78 respondents (39 men, 39 women, and 39 married couples) were interviewed. 40 respondents were in informal marriages, and 38 were in officially registered marriages. The average age was 27.3 years, with a minimum age of 18 and a maximum of 34. The following survey methods were used: Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS), S.V. Dukhnovsky Interpersonal Relationship Dialogue Scale, Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The findings were statistically processed. Results. The characteristics of Internet addiction were established: the average score of the general level of Internet addiction was 47.19 (min=26.00, max=79.00), 35.9% showed a low level of Internet-dependent behavior, 64.1% – medium and high levels. An inversely proportional relationship was found between the scales measuring the level of internet addiction (the nonparametric method of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, p<0.05 and r<0) and the scales assessing the quality of interpersonal relationships and marital satisfaction. It was shown that the more pronounced the internet-dependent behavior of one of the partners in a married couple is, the lower the level of marital satisfaction and the quality of interpersonal relationships in the married couple is. Using ANOVA analysis, statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found for the scales of Constructiveness, Self-Esteem, Dialogic Relationships, General Level of Satisfaction with a Pair of the Studied Psychological Parameters of Interpersonal Relationships, and the level of marital satisfaction among young people with different levels of internet-addictive behavior. A linear regression model of relationship dialogic factors in the overall sample of respondents showed (p=0.024) that the severity of internet-addictive behavior in one of the spouses negatively impacts relationship dialogueness. A linear regression model of relationship satisfaction factors in the overall sample (p=0.049) revealed a significant negative impact of time management problems associated with internet addiction on marital satisfaction. Using a linear regression model with a stepwise method, the effect of the compulsive symptoms scale on the marital consistency factor was revealed (p=0.012, χ=-0.420). Conclusion. The study of the relationship between the quality of interpersonal relationships, marital satisfaction of young people and internet-addictive behavior revealed differences in the level of internet addiction in families where one of the spouses has more pronounced internet-addictive behavior, the level of marital satisfaction is lower for both partners. A negative impact of the severity of internet-addictive behavior on the dialogic nature of relationships in married couples and their intrinsic value as a component of the overall level of dialogueness, as well as the need to spend a long time online on marital satisfaction, was proven. Directions for the creation of programs of effective strategies aimed at improving communication between spouses, reducing conflicts and increasing satisfaction with family relationships are identified.

 

Keywords: Internet-addicted behavior, family, spouses, gender, interpersonal relationships, marital satisfaction.

 

Article (pdf)

 

Contacts

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Materials  

For citation: Agarkov A.A., Akulinina K.A., Kisel N.I., Chernysheva K.G., Gutkevich E.V. Quality of interpersonal relationships and marital satisfaction of young people prone to internet-addictive behavior. Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.2025; 4 (129): 94-104. https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2025-4(129)-94-104

REFERENCES

  1. Lyadovskaya NI, Pisanova VA. The Internet and its impact on humans in the era of innovative technologies. Polytechnical Student Journal of BMSTU. 2023;04(81):1-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.18698/2541-8009-2023-4-882(in Russian).
  2. Masaeli N, Billieux J. Is problematic Internet and smartphone use related to poorer quality of life? A systematic review of available evidence and assessment strategies. Curr Addict Rep. 2022;9(3):235-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00415-w. Epub 2022 Jun 11. PMID: 35729927; PMCID: PMC9187501.
  3. Puchkova EB. Involvement of humanities students in virtual environment. Pedagogy and Psychology of Education. 2018;2:117-129 (in Russian).
  4. Fineberg NA, Menchón JM, Hall N, Dell'Osso B, Brand M, Potenza MN, Chamberlain SR, Cirnigliaro G, Lochner C, Billieux J, Demetrovics Z, Rumpf HJ, Müller A, Castro-Calvo J, Hollander E, Burkauskas J, Grünblatt E, Walitza S, Corazza O, King DL, Stein DJ, Grant JE, Pallanti S, Bowden-Jones H, Ameringen MV, Ioannidis K, Carmi L, Goudriaan AE, Martinotti G, Sales CMD, Jones J, Gjoneska B, Király O, Benatti B, Vismara M, Pellegrini L, Conti D, Cataldo I, Riva GM, Yücel M, Flayelle M, Hall T, Griffiths M, Zohar J. Advances in problematic usage of the internet research ‒ A narrative review by experts from the European network for problematic usage of the internet. Compr Psychiatry. 2022 Oct;118:152346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152346. Epub 2022 Aug 16. PMID: 36029549.
  5. Young KS. Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyber Psyhol Behav. 1998;1(3):237-244. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237.
  6. KochetkovNV, KudriashovDP. Engagement in the cyber socialization of youth and its socio-demographic characteristics as predictors of unembodiment on the Internet. Social Psychology and Society. 2024;15(2):65-81. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2024150205 (in Russian).
  7. Sangilbaeva AO, Sarsenbaeva LO. Development of human personality as a way to prevent Internet addiction. Human Factor: Social Psychologist. 2020;2(40):123-130 (in Russian).
  8. Tatarko AN, Maklasova EV, Lepshokova ZKh, Galyapina VN, Efremova MV, Dubrov DI, Bultseva MA, Bushina EV, Mironova AA. Assessment methodology of involvement in information and communication technology using. Social Psychology and Society. 2020;11(1):159-179. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2020110110(in Russian).
  9. Boer M, van den Eijnden RJJM, Boniel-Nissim M, Wong SL, Inchley JC, Badura P, Craig WM, Gobina I, Kleszczewska D, Klanšček HJ, Stevens GWJM. Adolescents' intense and problematic social media use and their well-being in 29 countries. J Adolesc Health. 2020 Jun;66(6S):S89-S99.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.02.014. PMID:32446614; PMCID: PMC7427320.
  10. Ilyin EP. Psychology of communication and interpersonal relations. 2nd edition, revised and updated. St. Petersburg: Piter, 2015:592 (in Russian).
  11. Volobuev YaV, Levi TS, Savchenko TN. Interpersonal relationships of spouses with different types of psychological boundaries. Psychological Journal. 2020;41(6):14-25.https://doi.org/10.31857/S020595920012580-4 (in Russian).
  12. Losy E, Sinitsaru L. Features of interpersonal relationships and emotional experiences in married couples depending on the length of family life. Herald of Vyatka State University. 2021;4(142):129-139. https://doi.org/10.25730/VSU.7606.21.056 (in Russian).
  13. Melnikova DA., Ilyinsky SV. Psychological factors of marital satisfaction of spouses in a young family. Bulletin of the Samara Humanitarian Academy. 2016;2(20):112-125 (in Russian).
  14. Aparicio-Martínez P, Ruiz-Rubio M, Perea-Moreno AJ, Martínez-Jiménez MP, Pagliari C, Redel-Macías MD, Vaquero-Abellán M. Gender differences in the addiction to social networks in the Southern Spanish university students. Telematics and Informatics, 2020 March; 46:101304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101304.
  15. Gorbacheva AG. Influence of modern information technologies on interaction of people in the context of small social groups. Bulletin of Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management. 2013;3:140-145 (in Russian).
  16. Brazhenskaya NE, Osmanova MM. Transformation of family values in the digital society. Education and Law. 2021;(6):126-131.https://doi.org/10.24412/2076-1503-2021-6-126-131(in Russian).
  17. Khusnutdinova RR. Psychological transformations of modern family in the situation of informatization of society. Bulletin of Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University. 2020 May;2(27):54-56 (in Russian).
  18. Masaeli N, Billieux J. Is problematic internet and smartphone use related to poorer quality of life? A systematic review of available evidence and assessment strategies. Curr Addict Rep. 2022;9(3):235-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00415-w. Epub 2022 Jun 11. PMID: 35729927; PMCID: PMC9187501.
  19. Internet-addictive behavior. Criteria and methods of diagnostics: Textbook. Authors: VL Malygin, KA Feklisova, AS Iskandirova, AA Antonenko, EA Smirnova, NS Khomeriki. Moscow: MSUMD, 2011:32 (in Russian).
  20. Dukhnovsky SV. Diagnostics of interpersonal relationships. Psychological workshop. St. Petersburg: Rech, 2009:141 (in Russian).
  21. NabiullinaMR. Analysis of the dialogic nature of communication and life-meaning orientations of modern high school students. Student. Postgraduate student. Researcher. Electronic scientific periodical. 2021. No. 3 (60). P. 166-170 (in Russian).
  22. Funk JL, Rogge RD. Testing the ruler with item response theory: increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. J Fam Psychol. 2007 Dec;21(4):572-83. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572. PMID: 18179329.
  23. Aivazova DG, Gorlova EL, Kashirsky DV, Sabelnikova NV. Validation of the Dyadic Agreement Scale (DAS) questionnaire by G.B. Spanier on a Russian sample. Psychological Journal. 2020;41(1):133-152.https://doi.org/10.31857/S020595920007907-3 (in Russian).
  24. Tereshchenko S, Kasparov E, Semenova N, Shubina M, Gorbacheva N, Novitckii I, Moskalenko O, Lapteva L. Generalized and specific problematic internet use in central siberia adolescents: A school-based study of prevalence, age-sex depending content structure, and comorbidity with psychosocial problems. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 21;19(13):7593. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137593. PMID: 35805263; PMCID: PMC9265954.
  25. Sochivko DV, Simakova TA. Everyday and affective internet addiction: relation to existential personality development. Applied Legal Psychology. 2021;1(54):13-18.https://doi.org/10.33463/2072-8336.2021.1(54).013-018(in Russian).
  26. Blinka L, Šablatúrová N, Ševčíková A, Husarova D. Social constraints associated with excessive internet use in adolescents: the role of family, school, peers, and neighbourhood. Int J Public Health. 2020 Nov; 65(8):1279-1287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01462-8. Epub 2020 Aug 25. PMID: 32844251.
  27. Lin S, Yu C, Chen J, Sheng J, Hu Y, Zhong L. The association between parental psychological control, deviant peer affiliation, and internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: A two-year longitudinal study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 6;17(21):8197. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218197.PMID: 33171961; PMCID: PMC7664197.
  28. PetrovAA, ChernyakNB. Current trends in the unfavorable clinical and social dynamics of personality disorders in problematic internet use. Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. 2020;3(108):83-91. https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2020-3(108)-83-91 (in Russian).
  29. Manchuk VT, Tereshchenko SYu, Shubina MV. Problematic use of social networks: terminology, prevalence, psychosocial risk factors and somatic comorbidity. Social Psychology and Society. 2024;15(2):28-46. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2024150203 (in Russian).