Digital Game Addiction and Sports Activity as Predictors of Loneliness in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience

This study aimed to examine the relationships between digital game addiction and sports activity with adolescents’ loneliness, focussing on the mediating role of psychological resilience. The study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of 1,123 students from Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected using the Digital Game Addiction Scale, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12), the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and a single-item measure of sports activity. Structural equation modelling indicated that digital game addiction was negatively associated with psychological resilience, whereas sports activity was positively associated with resilience. Psychological resilience was also negatively associated with loneliness. The direct effects of digital game addiction and sports activity on loneliness were not significant; however, their total effects became significant through the full mediating role of resilience. The findings suggest that reducing digital game addiction and promoting sports activities may decrease loneliness among adolescents by enhancing psychological resilience.