Reciprocal Links between Cyberaddiction and Depression in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional General Population Study in Casablanca

Abstract

Cyberaddiction, a relatively new phenomenon, is a recent field of research in mental health, particularly among adolescents. Recent research indicates that depression and cyberaddiction are two closely related phenomena. This work aims to determine its characteristics of the cyberaddiction and highlight a probable link between cyberaddiction and depression. This is a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study conducted on a population of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19. The study was preceded by a pre-test. Adolescents were recruited in public places and in a medical general practice in Casablanca. An anonymous voluntary self- administered questionnaire was administered to them. We noted socio-demographic characteristics, internet use, internet addiction with IAT, video game addiction with GAS, depression with BDI-2, and drug use. Our study included 102 adolescents. 85.3% consider their parents to be available and 81.4% have good communication with their parents. 97.1% use the Smartphone and 93.1% use Social Networks. As for cyberaddiction, 36.3% have a problematic use or moderate addiction and 3.9% have a severe addiction to the Internet. Sevrel variables significantly related to cyber addiction were fond. In the end, internet can lead vulnerable people to real addictive behaviors. This vulnerability is particularly exacerbated during adolescence. There is a link between cyberaddiction and depression. We need to be able to identify and treat these two pathologies in order to ensure better mental health for adolescents.