en <span style=font-size:11pt><span style=text-justify:inter-ideograph><span style=line-height:normal><span style=tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt><span style=text-autospace:none><span style=font-family:Calibri,sans-serif><b><span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif><span style=color:#4f81bd>Aims:</span></span></span></b><span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif> Internet gaming disorder is a growing global concern; however, further research is needed to deepen the understanding of the disorder in order to develop more effective treatment strategies. This research aimed to examine the mediating role of social connectedness in the relationship between perceived social support and internet gaming disorder among emerging adults in Malaysia. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style=font-size:11pt><span style=text-justify:inter-ideograph><span style=line-height:normal><span style=tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt><span style=text-autospace:none><span style=font-family:Calibri,sans-serif><b><span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif><span style=color:#4f81bd>Instrument & Methods:</span></span></span></b> <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif>This quantitative study investigated the mediating role of social connectedness between perceived social support and internet gaming disorder among emerging adults aged 18 to 29 years in Malaysia between July 2023 and May 2024. The participants were evenly distributed across various states. The selection criteria included non-professional gamers, a minimum score of 32 on the IGDS9-SF, and at least 12 months of gaming experience. Respondent-driven sampling was implemented, starting with 20 seeds and ultimately resulting in 389 participants.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style=font-size:11pt><span style=text-justify:inter-ideograph><span style=line-height:normal><span style=tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt><span style=text-autospace:none><span style=font-family:Calibri,sans-serif><b><span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif><span style=color:#4f81bd>Findings:</span></span></span></b> <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif>Social connectedness served as a full mediator in the relationship between perceived social support and internet gaming disorder, indicating that perceived social support affects internet gaming disorder indirectly through social connectedness. Higher perceived social support predicted lower internet gaming disorder (β=-0.192), higher perceived social support predicts higher social connectedness (β=-0.458), and higher social connectedness predicts lower internet gaming disorder (β=0.323).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style=font-size:11pt><span style=text-justify:inter-ideograph><span style=line-height:normal><span style=tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt><span style=text-autospace:none><span style=font-family:Calibri,sans-serif><b><span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif><span style=color:#4f81bd>Conclusion:</span></span></span></b> <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt><span style=font-family:Cambria,serif>Social connectedness significantly mediates the relationship between perceived social support and internet gaming disorder.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Internet Gaming Disorder,Mediation,Mental Health,Perceived Social Support, 331 337 http://hehp.modares.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-88706-1&slc_lang=en&sid=4 C.Z. Goh 1003194753284600369397 1003194753284600369397 No Department of Counsellor Education and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia A. Ismail 1003194753284600369398 1003194753284600369398 Yes Department of Counsellor Education and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia M.A.C. Amat 1003194753284600369399 1003194753284600369399 No Department of Counsellor Education and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia F.B. Keh 1003194753284600369400 1003194753284600369400 No Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, New Era University College, Kajang, Malaysia W. How 1003194753284600369401 1003194753284600369401 No Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, New Era University College, Kajang, Malaysia