بررسی افسردگی و استفاده از اینترنت مشکل آفرین در زنان کالج: یک مطالعه چند سایت

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess associations between depression and problematic internet use (PIU) among female college students, and determine whether Internet use time moderates this relationship. Method This cross-sectional survey included 265 female college students from four U.S. universities. Students completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) and self-reported daily Internet use. Analyses included multivariate analysis of variance and Poisson regression. Results Participants reported mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 1.7) and were 84.9% Caucasian. The mean PHQ-9 score was 5.4 (SD = 4.6); the mean PRIUSS score was 16.4 (SD = 11.1). Participants’ risk for PIU increased by 27% with each additional 30 min spent online using a computer (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14–1.42, p < .0001). Risk for PIU was significantly increased among those who met criteria for severe depression (RR = 8.16 95% CI: 4.27–15.6, p < .0001). The PHQ-9 items describing trouble concentrating, psychomotor dysregulation and suicidal ideation were most strongly associated with PIU risk. Conclusions The positive relationship between depression and PIU among female college students supports screening for both conditions, particularly among students reporting particular depression symptoms.

Depression is one of the most common health issues impacting college students (Association, 2009, Gallagher, 2007, Hunt and Eisenberg, 2010 and Zivin et al., 2009). Depression often has an onset during the college years; the yearly incidence of major depressive disorder is approximately 8% (Eisenberg et al., 2007 and Hunt and Eisenberg, 2010). Depression among college students is common and consequential as adverse outcomes include increased rates of substance use, co-morbid psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, and suicide (Association, 2010, Association, 2013, Deas and Brown, 2006, Garlow et al., 2008, Hunt and Eisenberg, 2010 and Kessler et al., 1995; Rao, 2006; Rao & Chen, 2009). Universities are important settings in which mental health concerns such as depression must be addressed given that approximately half of young adults attend post-secondary education (Statistics, 2010).