Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Department of Psychology, Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam Province, Ilam, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Internet addiction (IA) currently is the major public health concern, especially
in adolescents, although the results of previous reports are not generally uniform. This study was
conducted to determine IA in adolescents and to examine the correlation of IA with mental health
in adolescents.
METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was conducted in 2019 in Ilam city. In this study, 362 persons
were included using stratified cluster sampling; clusters were geographical area and schools. The valid
questionnaires including Internet Addiction Test and 28‑item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‑28)
were used to interview. The correlation statistical technique was used to determine the association
between the two variables. The significance level was considered <0.05.
RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation age of the responders was 16.40 ± 2.47 years; the total
score of IA and mental health was 43.02 ± 16.50 and 19.27 ± 9.72, respectively. We found that
5.5% of the adolescents had a severe level of IA. The lack of control with anxiety, neglect work and
social dysfunction, and neglect social life and severe depression in internet users were found to be
statistically significant: r (365) = 0.151, P < 0.033; r (365) = 0.126, P < 0.021; and r (365) = 0.125,
P < 0.033, two‑tailed, respectively.
CONCLUSION: According to the results, the excessive use of internet, lack of control, and neglect
social life are significantly correlated with mental health in adolescents; these results could be
contribute to improve the theoretical models for IA in adolescents.
Keywords
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