The Relationship of University Students’ Internet Addiction Levels with Alexithymia, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The current study was conducted to examine the association between the level of internet addiction and alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress levels among university students in Bangladesh.
MATERIALS and METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,274 undergraduate students recruited from four universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using the Personal Information Form, Young Internet Addiction Test Short Form (YIAT-SF), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21).
RESULTS: The study revealed moderate positive correlations between students’ alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress levels and internet addiction (r=0.37–0.45, all p<0.001). In a simultaneous multiple linear regression model, alexithymia and the three DASS-21 dimensions jointly explained 28.4% of the variance in internet addiction scores (Adjusted R²=0.284, p<0.001), with alexithymia emerging as the strongest independent predictor.
CONCLUSION: Internet addiction among university students is associated with both alexithymic traits and common indicators of psychological distress. It is recommended to evaluate the multiple factors that influence the emergence of internet addiction in students and to carry out studies to increase awareness within the South Asian context.

Keywords

• Alexithymia
• anxiety
• depression
• internet addiction
• stress
• Bangladesh

Supporting Institution

none

Ethical Statement

Since the study was retrospective, institutional approval was obtained for reviewing the patients' files, and separate consent was not obtained from the patients. Informed consent forms were obtained prior to the study for the surgical procedures performed on all included patients, and these are available in their files in the hospital archives

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin İnternet Bağımlılığı Düzeylerinin Aleksitimi, Depresyon, Kaygı ve Stres ile İlişkisi: Bangladeş'te Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

AMAÇ: Bu çalışma, Bangladeş'teki üniversite öğrencileri arasında internet bağımlılığı düzeyi ile aleksitimi, depresyon, kaygı ve stres düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek amacıyla yürütülmüştür.
GEREÇ ve YÖNTEM: Bu analitik kesitsel çalışma, Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Young İnternet Bağımlılığı Testi Kısa Formu (YIAT-SF), Toronto Aleksitimi Ölçeği (TAS-20) ile Depresyon, Kaygı ve Stres Ölçeği (DASS-21) kullanılarak Dakka, Bangladeş'teki dört üniversiteden seçilen 1.274 lisans öğrencisi ile yürütülmüştür.
BULGULAR: Çalışma, öğrencilerin aleksitimi, depresyon, kaygı ve stres düzeyleri ile internet bağımlılığı arasında orta düzeyde pozitif yönlü korelasyonlar ortaya koymuştur (r=0,37–0,45, tümü p<0,001). Eşzamanlı çoklu doğrusal regresyon modelinde, aleksitimi ve üç DASS-21 boyutu birlikte internet bağımlılığı puanlarındaki varyansın %28,4'ünü açıklamıştır (Düzeltilmiş R²=0,284, p<0,001) ve aleksitimi en güçlü bağımsız yordayıcı olarak öne çıkmıştır.
SONUÇ: Üniversite öğrencileri arasındaki internet bağımlılığı, hem aleksitimik özelliklerle hem de yaygın psikolojik sıkıntı göstergeleriyle ilişkilidir. Öğrencilerde internet bağımlılığının ortaya çıkmasını etkileyen çoklu faktörlerin değerlendirilmesi ve Güney Asya bağlamında farkındalığı artırmaya yönelik çalışmaların yürütülmesi önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Aleksitimi
• kaygı
• depresyon
• internet bağımlılığı
• stres
• Bangladeş

Supporting Institution

none

Ethical Statement

Çalışmanın geriye dönük olması dolayısıyla hastaların dosyaları taranmasında kurum izni alınmış olup, hastalardan ayrıca izin alınmamıştır. Çalışmaya dâhil edilen tüm hastalarda çalışma öncesinde yapılmış olan cerrahi işlem için bilgilendirilmiş onam formu alınmış olup hastane arşivindeki dosyalarında mevcuttur

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