The prevalence of internet addiction and its association with depression among medical students.

Article Information

Title: The prevalence of internet addiction and its association with depression among medical students.

Authors: Mohi Ud Din, Talha Mahboob, Faiza Mehboob, Khizra Saeed, Muhammad Abdullah Ali, Muhammad Ahmad Faraz

Journal: The Professional Medical Journal (TPMJ)

HEC Recognition History

Category	From	To
Y	2024-10-01	2025-12-31
Y	2023-07-01	2024-09-30
Y	2022-07-01	2023-06-30
Y	2021-07-01	2022-06-30

Publisher: Independent Medical College, Faisalabad- Pakistan

Country: Pakistan

Year: 2022

Volume: 29

Issue: 9

Language: English

DOI: 10.29309/TPMJ/2022.29.09.7098

Keywords: DepressionMedicalInternetAddiction

Abstract

Objectives: To see the prevalence of internet addiction among medical students and its association with depression. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Aziz Fatima Medical College, Faisalabad. Period: Sept 2021 to Oct 2021. Material &amp; Methods: The participants were medical students of 1st to Final year MBBS. Study duration was 2 months. Ethical approval was taken beforehand. The total sample size was 440. Non-probability purposive sampling was done. The inclusion criteria were those students who use internet, gave consent and filled out the questionnaire. A validated and structured questionnaire was used. The data was analysed on SPSS 25. Confidence interval was set to be 95% with 5% margin of error. Results: Depression was found in 228 (51.8%) participants while internet addiction was present in 163 (37%) of participants. Significant relationships were found (p = &lt; 0.05) between internet addiction, depression and different variables like gender, cost per month on internet usage, hours spent on social media in a day, use of social media late night, skip/delay meal while using social media, use of social media immediate after wake up in the morning, use of social media before sleeping. Conclusion: Concerns should have been raised about the rising percentage of internet addiction and depression among medical graduates. The evaluation of characteristics that are strongly linked to internet addiction can aid in the development of thorough activities directed at spreading awareness regarding the dangers and determinants of internet addiction in high-risk populations.

Disclaimer: The following sections are produced through an intensive multi-stage analytical pipeline developed by DefinePK, utilizing advanced natural-language processing, domain-specific knowledge models, and automated cross-referencing systems. Despite the rigor and computational effort involved, the generated summary may still contain inaccuracies or incomplete interpretations. Users are strongly advised to verify all critical information against the original paper and its authoritative sources.

Research Objective

To determine the prevalence of internet addiction among medical students and its association with depression.

Methodology

Cross-sectional study conducted at Aziz Fatima Medical College, Faisalabad, from September 2021 to October 2021. A sample of 440 medical students from 1st to Final year MBBS was recruited using non-probability purposive sampling. A validated and structured questionnaire, including the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS 25, with a confidence interval of 95% and a 5% margin of error. Chi-square test was used to assess associations.

Methodology Flowchart

                        graph TD;
    A[Recruit Medical Students] --> B[Administer Questionnaires: CIAS & PHQ-9];
    B --> C[Data Analysis using SPSS 25];
    C --> D[Identify Prevalence of Depression and Internet Addiction];
    D --> E[Analyze Associations between Variables];
    E --> F[Draw Conclusions and Recommendations];

Discussion

The study found a higher prevalence of internet addiction (37%) among medical students compared to some previous studies. Depression was also prevalent in over 50% of the students. The findings highlight significant associations between internet addiction and various behavioral patterns related to social media use, as well as with depression. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality.

Key Findings

Depression was found in 51.8% (228) of participants, while internet addiction was present in 37% (163) of participants. Significant relationships (p < 0.05) were found between internet addiction, depression, and variables such as gender, monthly internet cost, hours spent on social media, late-night social media use, skipping/delaying meals while using social media, using social media immediately after waking up, and using social media before sleeping.

Conclusion

There are significant concerns regarding the rising prevalence of internet addiction and depression among medical students. Identifying characteristics linked to internet addiction is crucial for developing targeted awareness programs. Interventional strategies and education on proper internet usage are recommended.

Fact Check

- Depression was found in 228 (51.8%) participants.
- Internet addiction was present in 163 (37%) of participants.
- The study period was from September 2021 to October 2021.

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