Internet addiction and its association with emotional disturbances among nursing students in Malaysia

• Main Authors: Al-Ani, Ali Sabri Radeef, Faisal, Ghasak Ghazi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: RA790 Mental Health. Mental Illness Prevention
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/91205/7/91205_Internet%20addiction%20and%20its%20association%20with%20emotional%20disturbances.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/91205/; http://www.jmhsci.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/BJMHS450328.pdf

Background: Excessive use of internet by undergraduate students can lead to problematic internet use in the form of internet addiction (IA) which may affect students’ mental health and their academic performance. This study aimed to investigate. IA among nursing students. Methods: A total of 174 nursing students from International Islamic University Malaysia Kuantan campus were recruited in the study. IA was assessed using Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) was used to determine the level of depression, anxiety and stress in relation to IA. Results: About 33.3% of the nursing students were found to have IA, while 12.6% of them at higher risk for IA. No significant differences in terms of gender and other socio-demographic factors were found. IA is significantly higher among students who were using internet for more than 40 hours per week. The mean scores for depression, anxiety and stress were significantly higher among students with IA. Conclusions: IA is considerably high among nursing students, and it is associated with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Male and female students are equally affected by IA