Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

The Association Between Internet Use and Mental Health in Western China: The Mediating Role of Self-Evaluation

Sinuo Li*
University College London

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the development of the internet, digital technology has become an integral part of life. The study is based on data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Focusing on residents in Western China, the study uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and a mediating mechanism to examine the association between internet use and mental health, the potential mechanism of self-evaluation, and age heterogeneity. After controlling for gender, age, educational attainment, marital status, and urban-rural hukou status, the study finds that internet use is significantly associated with lower depression scores ( β = −0.318, p < 0.05). The mechanism analysis shows that internet use is positively related to marital satisfaction, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and social status satisfaction. These dimensions also affect depression scores, with life satisfaction having the strongest effect. In the age analysis, the association between internet use and mental health is mainly observed among subjects below 60 years old ( β = −0.378, p < 0.05). Therefore, the internet improves mental health by providing better standards and experiences, but the benefit varies by individuals.

Keywords: Internet use; mental health; self-evaluation; age heterogeneity; Western China
Published: October 20, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BA37929
Volume: CHR Vol.123
pp. 83-94
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