The Relationship between social support, life satisfaction and problematic social media use among college students：A Latent Profile Analysis

Investigating the risk factors and underlying mechanisms of problematic social media use(PSMU) holds significant promise for preemptively addressing and mitigating such behaviors among college students, thereby fostering improvements in their mental well-being. The present study aims to characterize PSMU and to examine differences in social support and life satisfaction potentially across these profiles. In addition, this study also employs latent profile analysis to delve into the influence of social support and life satisfaction on PSMU among college students. Using convenience sampling, a sample of 8,540 Chinese college students (Mage = 18.89, SDage = 2.02, 57.7% male) from three universities completed a questionnaire assessing social support, PSMU and life satisfaction. The latent profile analysis identifed six PSMU profiles, which were labelled as lowest, very lower, low PSMU and high, very higher, highest PSMU. Findings reveal that college students' PSMU manifests across six distinct subgroups. Moreover, social support and life satisfaction emerge as robust predictors of PSMU patterns. Notably, while life satisfaction assumes a mediating role in the relationship between social support and various types of PSMU, this mediation is not evident in the highest echelon of PSMU. By refining our understanding of the intricate interplay between social support, life satisfaction, and PSMU, this study offers valuable insights for alleviating the adverse consequences associated with PSMU, thereby fostering enhanced mental health outcomes among this demographic.