Internet addiction in students from an educational institution in Southern Brazil: prevalence and associated factors

Social media and mental health in students: a cross-sectional study during the Covid-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Social media causes increased use and problems due to their attractions. Hence, it can affect mental health, especially in students. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between the use of social media and the mental health of students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The current cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on 781 university students in Lorestan province, who were selected by the Convenience Sampling method. The data was collected using a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, social media, problematic use of social media, and mental health (DASS-21). Data were analyzed in SPSS-26 software.

RESULTS

Shows that marital status, major, and household income are significantly associated with lower DASS21 scores (a lower DASS21 score means better mental health status). Also, problematic use of social media (β = 3.54, 95% CI: (3.23, 3.85)) was significantly associated with higher mental health scores (a higher DASS21 score means worse mental health status). Income and social media use (β = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.78, 1.25) were significantly associated with higher DASS21 scores (a higher DASS21 score means worse mental health status). Major was significantly associated with lower DASS21 scores (a lower DASS21 score means better mental health status).

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that social media had a direct relationship with mental health. Despite the large amount of evidence suggesting that social media harms mental health, more research is still necessary to determine the cause and how social media can be used without harmful effects.

Sleep Quality and Social Jetlag in Young Adults During the Social Distancing Caused by COVID-19

Introduction:  This study aimed to evaluate the sleep quality and the Social Jetlag frequency in young adults during social distancing because of COVID-19. Methods:  This is a cross-sectional study with 308 students aged ≥18 years and with Internet access. Questionnaires used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - Brazil (PSQI-BR), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Results:  The mean age of the students was 21 ± 3 years (17 - 42y), with no statistically significant difference between genders. The PSQI-BR indicated that 257 (83.4%) had poor sleep quality. The mean of Social Jetlag for young adults was 02:00 ± 01:49h, and we observed that 16.6% (n = 51) had Social Jetlag. Compared to men in the good sleep quality group, women had higher means for sleep duration on study days and free days, mid-point of sleep on study days and free days and corrected mid-point of sleep on free days. However, when compared to men in the group of poor sleep quality, we observed higher means for women regarding sleep duration on study days, the mid-point of sleep on study days, and the corrected mid-point of sleep on free days. Conclusions:  Thus, the high frequency of young adult students who had poor sleep quality associated with Social Jetlag (2 hours) in the present study may reflect a pattern of sleep irregularity, which may be associated with impairment of environmental synchronizers and stimulation of social synchronizers during the lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Internet Addiction in Socio-Demographic, Academic, and Psychological Profile of College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Internet addiction is a serious problem among young adults that requires increased attention, especially at a time of distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between internet addiction and selected socio-demographic, study-related, and psychological characteristics of college students. Internet addiction was measured using the Internet Addiction Test both overall and in its individual subscales (Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, Lack of Control, and Neglect Social Life). The selected characteristics represented (1) socio-demographic profile (gender, age, residence, family), (2) academic profile (housing during the semester, form of study), and (3) psychological profile (depressive symptoms—the Patient Health Questionnaire, stress—the Perceived Stress Scale, anxiety symptoms—the Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Data collection took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at Czech and Slovak colleges, with 1,422 students from the Czech Republic and 1,677 students from Slovakia participating in the research. The analytical processes were carried out through descriptive analysis, non-parametric difference analysis, and multiple negative binomial regression. Mild internet addiction was found in 387 (27.2%) Czech and 452 (27.0%) Slovak students. Moderate internet addiction was identified in 49 (3.4%) students from the Czech Republic and in 100 (6.0%) students from Slovakia. Two (0.1%) Czech and three (0.2%) Slovak students reported severe internet addiction. Increased likelihood of internet addiction overall, as well as in most individual subscales, was found particularly among male students and students who lived away from home during the semester. Depressive symptoms and stress could also be considered significant predictors in both countries. These results are important for the development of effective strategies and prevention programs, as Internet addiction may be a serious problem in the future, given the current times. When assessing internet addiction among college students, it would also be appropriate to evaluate the individual internet addiction subscales and their specifics.