{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T10:43:54Z","timestamp":1785840234545,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785801600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The construct of adolescent psychological well-being has long been a focus of both public discourse and scholarly inquiry. With the widespread adoption of the Internet, there have been growing concerns about adolescents\u2019 exposure to escalating online risks. Parental mediation has been hypothesised to facilitate the guidance and regulation of adolescents\u2019 Internet use. However, the specific mediating role of the parent\u2013adolescent relationship in the association between problematic Internet use and psychological well-being has remained underexamined, a gap explored in the current study. Based on the theoretical underpinnings provided by Phase Three of Bronfenbrenner\u2019s Bioecological Model of Human Development, a cross-sectional survey using validated psychometric instruments was conducted, involving 1598 students (mean age 16.0 years; 51% female) from secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. For data analysis, inferential statistics and partial least squares\u2013structural equation modelling (PLS\u2013SEM) were used to examine the complex structural relationships among the variables. Mean scores for problematic Internet use and psychological well-being indicated moderate severity levels. SEM results indicated the negative influence of problematic Internet use on psychological well-being (\u03b2 = \u22120.104 *, p = 0.040) and parent\u2013adolescent relationship (\u03b2 = \u22120.241 **, p &lt; 0.001) and a significant positive influence of parent\u2013adolescent relationship on psychological well-being (\u03b2 = 0.328 **, p &lt; 0.001). Subsequent mediation analysis confirmed the partial mediating effect of parent\u2013adolescent relationship (indirect association: \u03b2 = \u22120.079) on the relationship between problematic Internet use and psychological well-being among Malaysian adolescents. This was consistent with Bronfenbrenner\u2019s Bioecological Model of Human Development. Strengthening the parent\u2013adolescent relationship could mitigate the adverse psychological effects of excessive Internet use. From a policy perspective, these findings supported the use of family-focused intervention as a strategy to address the adverse psychological effects of problematic Internet use among adolescents.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081341","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T09:15:22Z","timestamp":1785834922000},"page":"1341","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Beyond Screen Time: Parent\u2013Adolescent Relationship as a Mediating Pathway Between Problematic Internet Use and Psychological Well-Being Among Malaysian Adolescents"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2561-6680","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ijeoma Miriam","family":"Okafor-Emeagha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nursing Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8506-7826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vimala","family":"Ramoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing and Education, Mahsa University, Bandar Saujana Putra, Jenjarom 42610, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1739-8751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mary Joseph","family":"Marret","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5584-2905","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lee Wan","family":"Ling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nursing Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"e88","article-title":"Impact of internet addiction on mental health among undergraduates in Nigeria","volume":"5","author":"Aderinto","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Surgery: Global Health"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"e22293","article-title":"Prevalence and pattern of internet addiction among adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study","volume":"14","author":"Afolabi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"215","article-title":"Relationship between academic stress, family and peer attachment with internet addiction in adolescents","volume":"6","author":"Agung","year":"2018","journal-title":"Jurnal Keperawatan Padjadjaran"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"11","article-title":"Structural Equation Model (SEM)","volume":"5","author":"Ajayi","year":"2021","journal-title":"American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Asian Development Bank, and UN.Escap (2026, March 04). 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