The Role of Online Infidelity Behaviors in the Link between Mental Illness and Social Media Intrusion

Abstract

Online social interactions can potentially benefit users. Excessive use and certain behaviors, however, may cause interpersonal problems and promote toxic behaviors such as stalking. The present study explored the link between mental health status and social media intrusion (addiction) in a sample of 243 married/cohabiting romantic partners (female 177, male 66). The sample was divided into two groups based on the diagnosis or nondiagnosis of mental/emotional illness. We also tested a mediation model to examine whether social networking sites (SNS) related infidelity behaviors mediate the link between mental health and social media intrusion. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between mental illness and SNS intrusion, and SNS related infidelity behaviors partially mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that partners should be cautious when making friends online and should take proactive steps to avoid the possibility of engaging in infidelity behaviors. Therapeutic implications and limitations of the study are discussed.