The relationship between internet addiction, social anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and depression in a sample of Turkish undergraduate medical students

Yücens, Bengü; Üzer, Ahmet

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.033

Cited by 146Impact of Technology on AdolescentsSexuality, Behavior, and TechnologyGambling Behavior and Treatments

The relationship between internet addiction, social anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and depression in a sample of Turkish undergraduate medical students

Yücens, Bengü, Üzer, Ahmet·2018·Psychiatry Research

DOI 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.033

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Abstract

Internet addiction (IA) is currently becoming a serious mental health problem. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of IA among undergraduate medical students and evaluate the relationship of IA with social anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and depression. The study included 392 undergraduate medical students. Evaluations were made with the sociodemographic data form, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The IA group had significantly higher scores on LSAS, BDI, BAI and lower scores on RSES than the control group but the BIS-11 scores were similar among groups. IAT severity was positively correlated with LSAS, BDI, and BAI and negatively with RSES. No correlation was observed between IAT severity and BIS-11. In the hierarchical linear regression analysis, the avoidance domain of social anxiety was the strongest predictor of the severity of IA. The present study suggests that undergraduate medical students with IA exhibit higher social anxiety, lower self-esteem and are more depressed than those without IA, thus, indicating that social anxiety, rather than impulsivity, seemed to play a prominent role in IA psychopathology.

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Authors: Yücens, B., & Üzer, A.
Affiliations: Afyon Kocatepe University (TR)
Corresponding author: Yücens, Bengü
ORCID: Yücens, Bengü
Üzer, Ahmet
Venue: Psychiatry Research
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2018-09
Volume: 267
Pages: 313-318
ISSN: 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.033
OpenAlex: W2808607722
Cited by: 146
References: 50
Citations by year: 2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 1
FWCI: 30.73
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
Keywords: internet addiction, social anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, depression, medical students, prevalence, Internet Addiction Test, avoidance, psychopathology
MeSH terms: Adult, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Self Concept, Students, Medical, Turkey, Universities, Prevalence, Behavior, Addictive, Internet, Young Adult

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The relationship between internet addiction, social anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and depression in a sample of Turkish undergraduate medical students

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