The Impact of Working Memory on Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescents during COVID-19: Exploring the Mediating Role of Internet Addiction

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased internet use among adolescents, raising concerns about its relationship with cognitive functions, such as working memory, and psychosocial functioning. The interactions between these factors, especially in the context of pandemic-related stressors, remain underexplored. This study examined the relationships among internet addiction, working memory, and psychosocial functioning among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it explored the mediating role of internet addiction and the influence of working memory on psychosocial functioning.

Method: This study employed a purposive sampling technique and a cross-sectional research design to recruit a sample of 100 adolescents (56 males and 44 females), aged 11 to 19 years, from various public and private educational institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Data collection was carried out during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth self-report (PSC-Y), and the Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBTT), adapted into Urdu following WHO guidelines.

Results: Preliminary analyses using chi-square tests revealed significant associations between psychosocial functioning and factors such as working memory, internet addiction, COVID-19 status, relationship with a COVID-19-positive individual, distance learning, internet usage duration, and maternal occupation. Binary logistic regression identified internet addiction, prolonged internet use (5–6 hours), and recovered COVID-19 status as significant predictors of psychosocial functioning. MANOVA indicated a significant multivariate effect of working memory on psychosocial functioning and internet addiction (Pillai’s Trace = 0.16, p < 0.001), with 16% of the variance explained. Mediation analysis demonstrated that internet addiction partially mediated the relationship between working memory and psychosocial functioning (B = −1.80, 95% CI [−2.76, −1.08]), suggesting that poor working memory contributed to psychosocial difficulties via increased internet addiction.

Conclusions: This study underscores the impact of working memory deficits on increased internet addiction and impaired psychosocial functioning in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce internet addiction, enhance cognitive health, and address pandemic-related stressors. These findings provide insights for improving adolescent mental well-being in the digital era.