Risk Factors of Internet Addiction among Internet Users: An Online Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

BackgroundsInternet addiction (IA) has become a major public health issue worldwide and is closely linked to psychiatric disorders and suicide. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of IA and its associated psychosocial and psychopathological determinants among internet users across different age groups.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional survey initiated by the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center. The participants were recruited from the general public who responded to the online questionnaire. They completed a series of self-reported measures, including Chen Internet Addiction Scale-revised (CIAS-R), Five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI), and questions about suicide and internet use habits.ResultsWe enrolled 1100 respondents with a preponderance of female subjects (85.8%). Based on an optimal cutoff for CIAS-R (67/68), the prevalence rate of IA was 10.6%. People with higher scores of CIAS-R were characterized as: male, single, students, high neuroticism, life impairment due to internet use, time for internet use, online gaming, presence of psychiatric morbidity, recent suicide ideation and past suicide attempts. Multiple regression on IA showed that age, gender, neuroticism, life impairment, internet use time, and BSRS-5 score accounted for 31% of variance for CIAS-R score. Further, logistic regression showed that neuroticism, life impairment and internet use time were three main predictors for IA. Compared to those without IA, the internet addicts had higher rates of psychiatric morbidity (65.0%), suicide ideation in a week (47.0%), lifetime suicide attempts (23.1%), and suicide attempt in a year (5.1%).ConclusionNeurotic personality traits, psychopathology, time for internet use and its subsequent life impairment were important predictors for IA. Individuals with IA may have higher rates of psychiatric morbidity and suicide risks. The findings provide important information for further investigation and prevention of IA.

The Relationship Between Personality Traits, Psychopathological Symptoms, and Problematic Internet Use: A Complex Mediation Model (Preprint)

“…Neuroticism has been positively associated with (i) problematic internet use in all empirical research to date in correlational studies (e.g., [18][19][20]), (ii) comparison of groups of internet addicts and controls (e.g., [21,22]), and (iii) regression analyses (e.g., [23,19]). This association is also found in research assessing neuroticism by questionnaires based on (i) Eysenck's three-factor theory (e.g., [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]) and (ii) Zuckerman's five-factor model (e.g., [34]). Similarly, studies have also reported an association between low agreeableness and internet addiction (e.g., [21,23,18,20]) and low conscientiousness and internet addiction (e.g., [18,22,20]).…”

Effect of Gender and Physical Activity on Internet Addiction in Medical Students

“…Availability of internet facility in portable devices like smart phones and tablets is one of the major contributing factor towards its excessive use. It has become an indispensable part of current modern living 4. The young generation has seen this facility from birth, is accustomed to its 24-hour access and cannot think of accomplishment of their daily tasks in its absence 5.…”

Internet Addiction and Its Correlation with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Loneliness in Undergraduate Students of UIN Malang

“…Other researchers found another criterion of internet addiction, as Wu, Lee, Liao, & Chang (2015) found the signs and symptoms include: a) use internet longer than intended, b) preoccupation with the internet, c) withdrawl symptoms when unable to access the internet, d) unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce internet use, e) craving, f) loss of interest hobbies or activities ither than the internet, g) excessive internet use depite the knowledge of related problems, g) use of the internet to escape or relieve a negative mood, and h) lying about internet use. The types of activity involved IA include online gaming, social networking, online gambling, online shopping, virtual sex, and information overload (Wu, Lee, Liao, & Chang, 2015) According to previous research, Young (2004) found that Internet addiction has a negative impact in various aspects of social life.…”

“…The types of activity involved IA include online gaming, social networking, online gambling, online shopping, virtual sex, and information overload (Wu, Lee, Liao, & Chang, 2015) According to previous research, Young (2004) found that Internet addiction has a negative impact in various aspects of social life. One of them in the academic field.…”