Psychological distress among internet addicted undergraduates in Duhok-Iraq

Abstract EN

Objective: The current study assessed psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction among internet addicted (IA) undergraduates compared with non-addicted (NA) undergraduates in Duhok, which is situated in northern Iraq.

Method: Multistage random sampling involved 1007 undergraduate students from the University of Duhok.

Students were assessed using the Internet Addiction Test and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28).

Analysis: Psychological distress among IA students (M=12.84, SD=4.028) was significantly higher (t=4.617, p< 0.001) than the scores among the NA (M=11.66, SD=4.083).

Women reported significantly higher scores of psychological distress (t=1.971, p=0.049) than did men (M=13.23, SD=4.007).

While not the case for social dysfunction, the mean scores for somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, and severe depression were higher among the IA group (p< 0.001).

Results: The predictors of psychological distress among the addicted students included lower academic achievements, severe level of internet addiction, and pleasure seeking as a main purpose of internet use.

Psychological distress was higher among IA undergraduate university students.

Conclusion: There is a need to enforce appropriate mental health programs to intervene in potentially maladaptive behavior to help undergraduates assure the fulfilment of their academic studies.