| Sumario: | Introduction: Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders among adolescents, and identifying its associated factors is of great importance. The present study aimed to investigate the role of Internet addiction in predicting depression with the mediating role of social isolation among high school students. Materials and Methods: This research employed a descriptive–correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all high school students in Jahrom city during the 2024–2025 academic year. A sample of 200 students was selected using a multistage cluster sampling method. First, a list of high schools in the city was prepared, and two girls’ schools and two boys’ schools were randomly selected. Then, one or two classes from different grades (10th, 11th, and 12th) were chosen from each school, and finally, about 50 students from each school (a total of 100 girls and 100 boys) were randomly selected. After excluding incomplete questionnaires, data from 200 participants with a mean age of 16 years (SD = 1.1) were analyzed. The data collection instruments included the Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Social Isolation Scale developed by Chelbi and Amirkafi. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical multiple regression in SPSS26. Results: The results showed that Internet addiction positively and significantly predicted depression (r=0.327, p<0.001) and social isolation (r=0.435, p<0.001). Moreover, social isolation was found to be a positive and significant predictor of depression (r=0.408, p<0.001). Regression analysis indicated that Internet addiction and social isolation together explained 25% of the variance in depression. The mediating role of social isolation in the relationship between Internet addiction and depression was also confirmed, as the beta coefficient of Internet addiction decreased after controlling for social isolation Conclusion: Social isolation plays an important mediating role in the relationship between Internet addiction and depression in adolescents. Based on these results, focusing on social mechanisms and strengthening interpersonal connections among adolescents can be an effective pathway to reducing the negative impacts of Internet addiction on their mental health.
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