The relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in medical students

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of mobile phone addiction among medical students and its relationship with depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. The study was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from 2019 to 2021, and it included medical students at four different levels of training. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. All subjects completed the Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory through online electronic self-report questionnaires. Overall, 355 medical students were included in the study, with 203 (57.2%) being female. Mild and severe mobile phone addiction was reported by 83.7 and 2.5% of the students, respectively. Furthermore, the study’s findings revealed significantly higher sleep quality disorder, depression, and anxiety scores among students with severe mobile phone addiction compared to other participants (P < 0.001, P = 0.007, and P < 0.001, respectively). Although mobile phone addiction was prevalent, severe addiction was rare among medical students. Nevertheless, severe addiction was associated with an increased prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbances, emphasizing the importance of interventions aimed at reducing mobile phone addiction and improving mental health.

Cell phone addiction and sleep disturbance among medical students in Jiangsu Province, China: the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of gender

“…Our findings align with previous reports indicating that medical college students with higher levels of cell phone addiction tend to experience poorer sleep quality ( 14 , 32 ). In the medical college student population, cell phone addiction can affect an individual's emotional self-control, emotional balance, and potentially leading to negative emotions such as anxiety or depression, all of which can impact sleep quality.…”

“…Studies have established a strong link between symptoms of cell phone addiction and the adverse effects it has on physical and mental health, particularly within the college student population ( 10 , 11 ). Additionally, research has shown a direct association between cell phone addiction and mental health issues, as well as the quality of sleep ( 12 – 14 ).…”