The association between depression or stress and internet addiction

Abstract

Objective: In the current study, we intended to examine the association between affective states (depression, stress, and anxiety) and Internet addiction (IA). Methods: The study sample consisted of 291 individuals with the age of 18–40 years. We used an online survey on study participants with the IA Scale (20 items) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of the sample was 23.58 ± 4.40 years. The results of stepwise regression analysis indicated that depression (p < 0.001) and stress (p < 0.01) significantly contributed to IA. Anxiety did not significantly contribute to IA. Conclusion: This study showed that depression and stress were related to Internet use. This finding implies the need for early identifying depression and stress for giving an appropriate intervention for the individuals with IA.