Interpersonal Problems, Social Media Addiction and Psychological Mental Health among Youth: The Mediating Role of Resilience

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of Interpersonal Problems on Psychological Wellbeing, specifically examining the mediating role of Resilience and the influence of Social Media Addiction among youth. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed with a sample of N = 200 young adults (ages 18–28) recruited via convenience sampling from Lahore, Pakistan. Data was collected using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Descriptive statistics indicated high digital engagement, with 84.5% of participants utilizing gadgets primarily for social media. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between interpersonal problems and psychological distress (r = .36, p < .01**), as well as between interpersonal problems and social media addiction (r = .31, p < .01**). Regression analysis indicated that interpersonal problems and social media addiction were significant positive predictors of psychological distress, whereas resilience was a significant negative predictor, collectively accounting for 48% of the variance in distress levels (R = .48***). Furthermore, mediation analysis confirmed that resilience partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal problems and psychological distress; higher interpersonal problems significantly predicted lower resilience, which in turn predicted higher psychological distress. The study concludes that interpersonal problems and social media addiction are detrimental to mental health, but resilience serves as a vital mediating factor. Interventions should focus on enhancing resilience and regulating digital behavior to improve wellbeing.