Background: Social networks and relationships create a sense of belonging and social identity and therefore have a major effect on mental health and quality of life, especially in young people. The present study was conducted to determine the predictor role of social networks and Internet emotional relationships on mental health and quality of life in students. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on 350 students at Alborz University of Medical Sciences selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using five questionnaires: Socioeconomic Status, Social Networks, Internet Emotional Relationships Mental Health, Quality of Life and a checklist of demographic details. Data were analyzed in SPSS-25, PLS-3, and Lisrel-8.8.Results: According to the path analysis results, mental health had the most significant positive causal relationship with Internet emotional relationships in the direct path (B=0.22) and the most negative relationship with socioeconomic status (B=-0.09). Mental health was assessed using DASS-21, in which higher scores mean higher mental disorders. Quality of life had the highest negative causal relationship with the DASS-21 score in the direct path (B=-0.26) and the highest positive relationship with socioeconomic status in the indirect path (B=0.023). The mean duration of using social networks (B=-0.067) and Internet emotional relationships (B=-0.089) had the highest negative relationship with quality of life.Conclusion: The use of the Internet and virtual networks, Internet emotional relationships and unfavourable socioeconomic status were associated with mental disorders and reduced quality of life in the students. Since students are the future of any country, it is necessary for policymakers to further address this group and their concerns.

Background: Social networks and relationships create a sense of belonging and social identity and therefore have a major effect on mental health and quality of life, especially in young people. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of social networks and Internet emotional relationships on mental health and quality of life in students. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive analytical study was conducted in 2021 on 350 students at Alborz University of Medical Sciences selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using five questionnaires: Socioeconomic Status, Social Networks, Internet Emotional Relationships Mental Health, Quality of Life and a checklist of demographic details. Data were analyzed in SPSS-25, PLS-3, and Lisrel-8.8.Results: According to the path analysis results, mental health had the most significant positive causal relationship with Internet emotional relationships in the direct path (B=0.22) and the most negative relationship with socioeconomic status (B=-0.09). Mental health was assessed using DASS-21, in which higher scores mean higher mental disorder. Quality of life had the highest negative causal relationship with DASS-21 score in the direct path (B=-0.26) and the highest positive relationship with socioeconomic status in the indirect path (B=0.023). The mean duration of using social networks (B=-0.067) and Internet emotional relationships (B=-0.089) had the highest negative relationship with quality of life.Conclusion: The use of the internet and virtual networks, Internet emotional relationships and unfavorable socioeconomic status were associated with mental disorders and reduced quality of life in the students. Since students are the future of any country, it is necessary for policymakers to further address this group and their concerns.