Investigating the Mediating Role of Identity Crisis and Family Cohesion in Determining the Relationship between Social Networks Participation with Body Image Issues Among Students

The aim of present study was to investigate the mediating role of identity crisis and family cohesion in determining the relationship between participation in social media and body image concerns among students.

The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population consisted of all public middle school students studying in the city of Rasht in the academic year of 2019-20. Participants were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling method. To collect data from four questionnaires, Social Network Sites Engagement Scale (Boland1399), Identity Crisis (Ahmadi, 1997), Family Cohesion (Samani, 2002) and Body Image Concern Questionnaire (Littleton et al., 2005) were used. These questionnaires were provided to students online and 674 people responded to them. Finally, 497 questionnaires were examined and analyzed statistically, using path analysis method.

The results showed that social network engagement has a direct effect on body image concern (β=-0.41, P<0.001), family cohesion (β=-0.25, P <0.001), and identity crisis (Β=-0.16, P<0.001). Identity crisis directly and significantly predicts body image concerns (β=-0.13, P<0.001). Family cohesion directly and significantly predicts body image concerns (β=-0.17, P<0.001). In addition, that engagement in social networks mediated by identity crisis has an indirect impact on body image anxiety (β=0.06, P<0.001). However, the indirect effect of the mediating variable of family cohesion on social network engagement and body image concerns is not statistically significant.

Therefore, improving the amount and manner of adolescents' use of social networks, teaching media literacy to adolescents and holding training sessions to facilitate the transition from puberty and prevent identity crisis is important to reduce dissatisfaction with body image and promote adolescent mental health.