Internet Addiction Disorder and Its Pathogenicity to Psychological Distress and Depression among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study in Bangladesh

Abstract

Worldwide Internet addiction is a newly emerging mental health and social issue among the youths causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances and social problems. Internet addicts make the Internet urgency more vital than family, friends and work. Several studies exposed that anxiety, backache, blurred vision, dry eyes, headache, sleep disturbance, depression, poor academic performance etc. are results of Internet addiction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the Internet addiction as well as its psychological distress and depression among university undergraduate students of Bangladesh. The study was conducted among 475 students selected from five universities of Bangladesh from July 2015 to September 2015. The selected universities were Southeast University, University of South Asia, Primeasia University, Northern University Bangladesh and State University of Bangladesh. Each willing participants were subject of this study and they shared their opinion. The Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2) were used to determine Internet addiction, psychological distress and depression respectively. Results revealed that the university students showed varying degrees of Internet addiction, psychological distress and depression with respect to sex, age, year of study and residential status. The data revealed that 47.7% (127) male and 44.5% (93) female students showed severe Internet addiction followed by 27.1% (72) male and 33.9% (71) female students showed moderate Internet addiction, while 20.7% (55) male and 7.7% (16) female students had mild Internet addiction. The linkage between Internet addiction and sex was significant at P < 0.001. Furthermore, 29.7% (79) male and 32.5% (68) female students had psychological distress. Severe psychological depression was reported among 44.7% (119) male and 41.6% (87) female students. Equally year of study and residential status showed significant ( P < 0.001; P < 0.05, P < 0.001) differences in Internet addiction and psychological depression. This study observed that university undergraduate students are at very close to the danger of Internet addiction and its pathological impact on psychological distress and depression. Therefore, the new generation is at great risk. However, without Internet scientific thinking is not possible. So only the rational use of the Internet can be fruitful in the long run.