Anxiety, Depression and Loneliness Due to Internet Addiction Among Selected Senior Secondary School Students of Bhopal

Abstract

Background: The internet is being used extensively throughout the world, especially among adolescents and youth. Early detection of the adolescent population with internet addiction (IA) and prompt measures to redirect them towards sound use of technology is essential. The objectives of the study were to: i) identify the magnitude of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among senior secondary school students with IA; ii) assess the relationship between internet addiction and depression, anxiety, and loneliness; and iii) find the association of sociodemographic variables with depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 220 participants from senior secondary schools in the Bhopal district. The Institutional Ethics Committee approved the study. Participants were selected using a convenient sampling technique. The tools used were the CHEN Internet addiction scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and UCLA loneliness scale. Data was analyzed using SPSS (v. 20)
Result: About 99 (45%) participants were internet addicted. Among the internet addicted, the majority had mild anxiety (35.4 %), moderate depression (39.4%), and loneliness (58.6%). The relationship of IA with depression was weak and negative (r = -0.32), but was positive with anxiety (r = 0.104) and loneliness (r = 0.053). There was no association of depression, anxiety, and loneliness with sociodemographic variables of the students with IA.
Conclusion: Internet addiction is prevalent among senior secondary school students in Bhopal. Context-specific causes and risk factors for IA should be identified and measures to address these need to be initiated.