IntroductionSmartphone usage has significantly increased in the last decade among young adults has significantly increased in the last decade. While its benefits are undeniable, its negative implications are increasingly emerging. Studies are needed to investigate the effects of excessive smartphone use on a young person's life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of excessive smartphone use among medical students and its relations with social anxiety, self-esteem, and quality of life.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in UKM Medical Center. A total of 273 students have consented to participate and completed self-reported questionnaires encompassing sociodemographic information, the Short Version Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES). Sociodemographic data, SIAS score, WHOQOL-BREF score and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale score were treated as independent variables. Smartphone addiction Scale score was treated as the dependent variable. Bivariate analysis was used to explore the relationship between independent and dependent variables using the Fisher exact test, Pearson Chi-Square and Pearson correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the variables with a p-value of < 0.05 from the Pearson correlation coefficient test.ResultsThe percentage of excessive smarphone use among UKM medical students is 48%. The bivariate analysis showed that excessive smartphone use has a small but significant positive correlation with social anxiety (r = 0.173, p = 0.004) and negative correlations with physical health (r = −0.133, p = 0.028), psychological wellbeing (r =−0.135, p = 0.026), social relationships (r = −0.232, p = 0.001), environment (r = −0.260, p = 0.001) and self-esteem (r = −0.128, p = 0.035). In the multiple regression analysis, a better environment predicted a reduced risk for smartphone addiction (β = −0.233, p = 0.013).ConclusionAlmost half of the students were found to have smartphone overdependence. Excessive smartphone use has shown a significant relationship with an increased risk for social anxiety, reduction in self-esteem, and quality of life among medical students. A closer look into the possible intervention is needed in the future to curb the negative effects arising from excessive smartphone use.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us in many ways. To protect us from COVID-19 infection spread, we had to follow new rules or “SOP” that resulted in isolation, change of work or studying environment, loss of income and emotional disturbance. Many had to adapt to the new condition, but some found it overwhelming. The Malaysian police department reported 638 cases of suicide until July 2021 which is equivalent to a nearly 60% increase compared to last year. This is an alarming report which requires action to be taken at many levels. Awareness about the importance of mental health and understanding mental illnesses are slowly improving but the stigma is still present which deters people from seeking appropriate help. Healthcare professionals are also experiencing burnout due to the current pandemic and are also vulnerable to emotional disturbance. Hence, it is time to discuss this topic with experts from diverse backgrounds to understand issues related to suicide, especially during this pandemic.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2022 Page: S13
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