Teen Internet addicts ‘more likely to suffer depression’
August 3rd, 2010 - 2:59 pm ICT by ANINormal
0
Washington, Aug 3 (ANI): A recent study has revealed that
teenagers who use the Internet pathologically are more likely to develop
depression than those who don’t.
Pathological (uncontrolled or unreasonable) use of Internet
has been associated with relationship problems, physical ill health, aggressive
behaviors and other psychiatric symptoms.
Researchers studied pathological Internet use and later
mental health problems among 1,041 teens in China (average age 15).
Participants were assessed for depression and anxiety using
previously validated scales. They also completed a questionnaire to identify
pathological Internet use, including questions that reflect typical behaviors
of addiction.
At the beginning of the study, 62 participants (6.2 percent)
were classified as having moderately pathological use of the Internet, and two
(0.2 percent) were severely at risk.
Nine months later, the adolescents were re-assessed for anxiety
and depression; eight (0.2 percent) had significant anxiety symptoms and 87
(8.4 percent) had developed depression.
The risk of depression for those who used the Internet
pathologically was about two and a half times that of those who did not.
“This result suggests that young people who are
initially free of mental health problems but use the Internet pathologically
could develop depression as a consequence,” the authors said.
“As we understand that mental health problems among
adolescents bear a significant personal cost as well as costs to the community,
early intervention and prevention that targets at-risk groups with identified
risk factors is effective in reducing the burden of depression among young
people,” they continued.
Lawrence T. Lam of the School of Medicine,
Sydney and Zi-Wen Peng of SunYat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China prepared the
report, which was published in the journal Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
(ANI)
- Teen internet addicts face double depression risk - Aug 03, 2010
- Anxiety, depression accounts for risky driving - May 18, 2011
- Eating disorders prevalent among adolescents: US study - Mar 08, 2011
- Severely obese teens 'no more likely to be depressed' - Apr 22, 2011
- Why 'stress hormone' behaves in contradictory ways in kids - Feb 10, 2011
- Psychiatric disorders linked to risky sexual behaviour in adolescents - Sep 29, 2010
- Video game addiction tied to depression, anxiety in kids - Jan 20, 2011
- Online mental health modules reduce anxiety or depression - Apr 06, 2011
- Kids with epilepsy 'more likely to have psychiatric symptoms' - Mar 26, 2011
- Binge drinking 'ups future depression risk in teens' - Nov 16, 2010
- Obesity in teen girls likely to lead to depression - May 26, 2010
- Taking medication for insomnia or anxiety 'ups mortality risk by 36pc' - Sep 10, 2010
- Mental stress doesn't distract young people behind the wheel - May 19, 2010
- Depression recurs in about half of treated adolescent patients - Nov 02, 2010
- Depression dogs women after miscarriage - Mar 04, 2011
Tags: aggressive behaviors, anxiety and depression, anxiety symptoms, guangzhou china, half times, internet addicts, internet use, journal pediatrics, mental health problems, pathological internet, pediatrics and adolescent medicine, physical ill health, psychiatric symptoms, relationship problems, risk factors, risk groups, school of medicine, sunyat sen, teen internet, typical behaviors