The association between internet addiction, social phobia and depression in medical college students

Abstract

Background: Internet has become an integral part of day-to-day life of the university students. It has become indispensable. It gives unlimited access to information; it keeps you updated with the latest techniques and drugs. But internet usage is known to lead to addictive behavior, and Internet addiction threatens to develop into a major public health issue in the near future in a rapidly developing country like India.Methods: A study was conducted in a medical college of 600 students, of which 489 gave consent to participate. They were evaluated using a questionnaire which included an internet addiction scale to assess internet addiction, social phobia inventory to assess social phobia and depression and somatic scale to assess depression.Results: Of the 489 students who participated, 54.4% were females.63.8% had mild internet addiction and only 0,4% had severe addiction. Of those suffering from internet addiction 52.5% of the students were suffering from social phobia. It was found that students with internet addiction had three times the risk of developing social phobia, four times the risk of developing depression when compared with students without internet addiction.Conclusions: Excessive use of internet affects the academic achievements of students. Students addicted to internet are more involved in it and spend more time online than their studies which invariably affects their grades. Seminars and media can play an important role in making people aware of causes and effects of internet addiction.

<p>Relationships between Internet addiction and clinicodemographic and behavioral factors</p>

“…Personal distress under tense interpersonal settings is demonstrated to be linked to Internet and smartphone use disorder 40. High prevalence of social anxiety and social phobia among individuals with IA was reported 41,42. Unsuccessful social relationships may encourage one to revert to virtual relationships online, but only resulting in poorer well-being.…”

Individual Differences in Tendencies Toward Internet Use Disorder, Internet Literacy and Their Link to Autistic Traits in Both China and Germany

“…However, in addition to these positive aspects there is increasing concern and on-going debate over whether over-usage of online channels may represent a threat to mental health (1). Indeed, excessive usage of the Internet has been associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and social phobia (2)(3)(4) as well with autistic traits [e.g., (5)]. However, whether over-usage of the Internet contributes causally to these disorders is largely unresolved.…”

“…Here, Internet Gaming Disorder as a specific form of IUD was recognized for the first time as a potential mental health problem by an official health organization. The inclusion of this scientific working term triggered more structured research in the field, with the outcome that the World Health Organization (WHO) has now even included Gaming Disorder as an officially recognized disorder in ICD-11 2 . In line with this terminology the I-PACE model by Brand et al (10,11) perhaps currently represents the most comprehensive model for understanding and studying IUD.…”

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Remedies for Psychiatric Illnesses among Students in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Study in University of Ruhuna

“…SAD has been found more frequently in female medical students more than other students according to findings of 74 . SAD has been found to be associated with internet addiction and depression 75 . Some studies show that social phobia can negative affect for the academic performance 76 .…”