Internet Addiction and Depression among College Students in Malaysia

Othman, Zahiruddin and Chung, Wah Lee (2017) Internet Addiction and Depression among College Students in Malaysia. International Medical Journal, 24 (6). pp. 447-450. ISSN 1341-2051

[img]
Preview
PDF
Download (671kB) | Preview

Abstract

Introduction: Internet has revolutionized the information age. However, excessive internet use has led to health issues among users and the most commonly reported psychological problem is depression. Yet, there is dearth of research in this area among college students in Malaysia. Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the internet addiction (IA) and its association with depression and anxiety among college students. Methods: Students age 18-24 from allied health colleges who were doing attachment and posting in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang were recruited into the study. IA was assessed using the internet addiction test (IAT), whilst depression and anxiety by using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) Results: IA was significantly associated with depression (p < 0.001) and male gender (p = 0.047). In addition, IA was also associated with internet use characteristics such as using computer outside home (p = 0.008), using the internet for surfing (p = 0.016) and e-mailing (p = 0.025), and spending more time online during the weekends (p = 0.003). IA was not associated with anxiety (p = 0.365). Conclusions: Internet addiction is associated with depression and male gender among Malaysian college students. Further study on psychological factors such as personality traits and coping styles is recommended in order to understand the underlying mechanism in IA and propose possible interventions

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: internet addiction, depression, young adults, college students, Malaysia
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Divisions: Kampus Kesihatan (Health Campus) > Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan (School of Medical Sciences) > Article
Zoom Profil Pakar (Expert Profile) > Zahiruddin Othman (Medical Sciences)
Depositing User: Administrator Automasi
Date Deposited: 15 May 2019 08:45
Last Modified: 15 May 2019 08:45
URI: http://eprints.usm.my/id/eprint/44353

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item
Share