Internet addiction and mental health disorders in high school students in a Peruvian region: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives To determine the association between internet addiction disorder (IAD) and anxiety and depressive symptomatology in high school students in two private schools in Chiclayo, Peru, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods Analytical cross-sectional investigation of 505 adolescents from two private schools. The dependent variables were anxiety and depressive symptomatology, measured with the Beck Adapted Depression Questionnaire (BDI-IIA) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), respectively. The main independent variable was IAD, measured with the Internet Addiction Test instrument(IATI). Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated. Results The average age was 14.16 years and 54.9% were women. 22.2% and 3.2% presented mild and moderate IAD; respectively. 9.3% presented severe anxiety and 34.3% severe depressive symptomatology. In the simple regression, adolescents with mild, moderate and severe IAD presented 19% (PR = 1.19; 95%CI: 1.05–1.35), 25% (PR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02–1.53) and 53% (PR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.47–1.60) higher prevalence of depressive symptomatology; however, this association was not maintained in the multiple model. Anxiety increased 196% in adolescents with severe IAD (PR = 2.96; 95%CI: 1.86–4.71). Conclusion We found that 2, 1, and 3 out of 10 students presented IAD, depressive symptomatology, and anxiety, respectively. We did not find an association between IAD and depressive symptomatology, but we did find an association with anxiety. Among the factors associated with the development of depressive symptomatology were the male sex, the presence of eating disorders, subclinical insomnia, using devices for more than 2 h, and using the Internet for academic activities. About anxiety, the associated factors are the female sex, the presence of eating disorders, subclinical insomnia, and the use of the Internet as social interaction. We recommend implementing counseling programs in view of the imminent introduction of the Internet as a pillar in education.

Pandemia COVID-19: consecuencias de la sobreexposición al uso de tecnologías de la Información y comunicación

“…Con respecto a otros hallazgos de este proyecto, se encontró un resultado similar en la predisposición de los encuestados que previo a la pandemia presentaban un uso desmedido de las TIC a mostrar síntomas de depresión y ansiedad, lo que coincide con un estudio realizado en Perú en 2021, en el que participaron estudiantes con características sociodemográficas parecidas a los participantes de esta investigación 29 .…”

Proposal for a Flipped Classroom Program with Massive Open Online Courses to Improve Access to Information and Information Literacy in Primary School Teachers

“…In short, the integration of strategies such as a flipped classroom supported by MOOCs can be especially beneficial for primary teachers in the Lambayeque region [33]. According to [34], these methodologies not only help them improve their information literacy, that is, the capacity to identify, access, assess, and use data from a variety of sources to solve problems, reach conclusions, and communicate effectively in both digital and analog settings, but they also teach them how to adapt to a changing educational landscape and get their students ready for the 21st-century digital world.…”

The impact of internet adaptability on internet addiction: the serial mediation effect of meaning in life and anxiety

“…A recent study showed that 9% of adolescents, with an average age of 14.53, exhibited high levels of internet addiction, and 11% showed overuse of online games ( 6 ). Internet addiction can have severe detrimental effects on an individual’s social and physical well-being ( 7 ), including an increased risk of depression and anxiety ( 8 , 9 ), problematic behaviors ( 6 ), poorer academic performance ( 10 ), and severe sleep disorders ( 11 ), and so on. As a result, researchers have investigated various internal and external factors that influence internet addiction and have aimed to uncover its psychological mechanisms in order to develop effective interventions ( 7 , 12–14 ).…”