Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Internet has become an indispensable component in our lives. The emergence of cheaper internet services and smart phones has led to its widespread use among people across all sociodemographic backgrounds. As a result, a new emergence of internet addiction has started gripping our youths and adolescents. Global prevalence of internet addiction is 30.1% among medical students. This high prevalence may contribute towards various mental health issues as the medical students are already struggling with immense pressure due to academic and clinical obligations. A wide range of mental health issues are emerging as a result of internet addiction. Therefore, our study aims to assess the use of internet among medical students and its effect on their mental health. A cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based study was conducted in a medical college in Bareilly. A total of 340 medical students were included in the study which comprised of medical students from 1st year till internship year. A pre‐designed and pre‐tested questionnaire was taken to collect socio‐demographic information. Internet Addiction was assessed using Young’s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) and depressive symptoms were assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9). Overall, 51% of students scored above the valid cut off for internet addiction. The mean score of Young Internet Addiction Test was 32. Mild, moderate and severe Internet Addiction was found among 37.8%, 11.9% and 1.2% of students respectively. In our study, 16.5% of students showed moderate to severe depression. Internet addiction was found to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms among the students. Internet usage has grown drastically in the last decade. Our study showed that internet addiction was present among 51% of the participants and it was significantly associated with depression.
How to cite this article:
Nikhat Naaz, Aparajita Mishra, Ramjan Ali and Arun Singh. Internet Addiction among Medical Undergraduates and its Association with Depressive Symptoms.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.36478/makrjms.2024.10.131.136
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.36478/makrjms.2024.10.131.136