Developing a Structural Model of Anxiety and Internet Addiction Through the Mediating Role of Alexithymia Among University Students

Asma  Zare; Parvin Rezaei Gazki; Azita  Amirfakhraei

Authors

Asma Zare Ph.D. Student of General Psychology, Department of Psychology, BA.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1626-2085
Parvin Rezaei Gazki Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education, Medical Education Development Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0468-0563
Azita Amirfakhraei Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, BA.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3753-0924

Keywords:

Anxiety, Alexithymia, Internet Addiction, Problematic Internet Use, University Students, Mediation, Structural Model

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and test a structural model of the relationship between anxiety and Internet addiction through the mediating role of alexithymia among university students in Sirjan. This applied, quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of students enrolled at universities in Sirjan during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using multistage cluster random sampling, 209 students were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using the six-item PROMIS Anxiety Short Form, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the six-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire Short Form. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and AMOS. Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and mediation analysis with 5,000 bootstrap resamples were used to examine the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. Anxiety was positively and significantly correlated with alexithymia (r = .52, p < .01) and Internet addiction (r = .41, p < .01), while alexithymia was positively correlated with Internet addiction (r = .48, p < .01). Anxiety significantly predicted Internet addiction (β = .41, p < .001) and explained 16.8% of its variance. Anxiety also significantly predicted alexithymia (β = .52, p < .001), accounting for 27.0% of its variance. When anxiety and alexithymia were entered simultaneously, alexithymia significantly predicted Internet addiction (β = .38, p < .001), while the direct effect of anxiety remained significant but decreased to β = .18 (p = .011). The indirect effect of anxiety on Internet addiction through alexithymia was significant (effect = .23, SE = .05, 95% CI [.14, .33]), confirming partial mediation. Alexithymia partially mediates the relationship between anxiety and Internet addiction, indicating that anxiety contributes to problematic Internet use both directly and indirectly through greater difficulty in identifying and processing emotions.

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