Associations between interactions with support providers and depression during times of isolation: Integrating perceived support and media multiplexity

Integrating aspects of social interaction and communicating via technology, this study examines perceived support as a mechanism through which frequent interactions with support providers are linked to depression. Building off of Taylor and Bazarova’s (2018) developments to media multiplexity theory, it also theorizes and tests the moderating effect of multiple forms of media multiplexity, including average multiplexity, overall multiplexity, and multiplexity variability. Survey data from N = 946 U.S. adults recruited through an online panel in April 2020 showed that interaction frequency with support providers was negatively associated with depression through perceived support. This mediating effect of perceived support was further moderated by media multiplexity, such that it was stronger when individuals on average used more channels in interactions with each of their support providers and when their channel use manifested a high level of heterogeneity across their network. Conversely, it was weaker when the total number of channels used across providers was high. The findings extend media multiplexity theory and contribute to understanding social interactions and computer-mediated communication.