Internet addiction in university medical students

Capetillo Ventura, Nelly Cecilia y Juárez Treviño, Myrthala (2015) Internet addiction in university medical students. Medicina universitaria, 17 (67). pp. 88-93. ISSN 1665-5796

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Resumen

Objective: To determine the prevalence of Internet addiction, psychiatric symptoms and personality type in university students, and to correlate these variables. Methods: We enrolled 522 medical students, 281 men and 241 women, with a mean age of 21.2 years. We used a socio-demographic questionnaire, an Internet questionnaire (Young’s Internet Addiction Test [IAT]), the General Health Questionnaire, and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire III (ZKPQ). Results: The mean raw score of respondents in the IAT test was 19.72 points. IA had a highly significant correlation with impulsivity (rs = 0.244, p < 001), neuroticism-anxiety (rs = 0.304, p < 001) and aggression-hostility (rs = 0.143, p = 0.001). It also negatively correlated with work effort (rs = −0.136, p = 0.002). As for mental health, IA had a highly significant correlation with somatic symptoms (rs = 0.174, p < 001), anxiety and insomnia (rs = 0.219, p < 001), social dysfunction (rs = 0.118, p < 001) and severe depression (rs = 0.199, p < 001). Conclusions: The Internet is a tool for various activities. When used with control it does not cause any problems. However, when control is lost, addiction occurs together with its comorbidities. Certain personality types are predisposed to this loss of control and Internet abuse

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