Burden of Internet Addiction, Social Anxiety and Social Phobia Among University Students, India

Overview

Journal J Family Med Prim Care

Specialty Public Health

Date 2020 Oct 26

PMID 33102337

Citations 16

Authors

Abhishek Jaiswal

Shubham Manchanda

Vaishali Gautam

Akhil D Goel

Jitender Aneja

Pankaja R Raghav

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental health disorder affecting adolescents often associated with comorbidities like depression, suicide ideation and substance abuse. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of social anxiety in adolescents and to explore its correlation with internet usage.

Methods: An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 undergraduate students to screen for social anxiety and social phobia using a validated instrument, social interaction anxiety scale (SIAS). Young's internet addiction scale was used for measuring internet addiction. Respondents were categorised according to the scores obtained and later compared with their internet addiction behaviours.

Results: Internet addiction was seen in 93.8% of respondents. The prevalence of SAD was estimated to be 15.3%. Internet addiction was positively correlated with social anxiety score (Pearson correlation = 0.994, < 0.001).

Conclusion: More than 90% of participants had internet addiction, the majority had mild-moderate internet addiction. Social anxiety was present in more than one-third of the participants. SAD was found to be associated with internet addiction.

Citing Articles

A Comprehensive Review of Psychosocial, Academic, and Psychological Issues Faced by University Students in India.

Gull M, Kaur N, Abuhasan W, Kandi S, Nair S Ann Neurosci. 2025; :09727531241306571.

PMID: 39872693 PMC: 11765307. DOI: 10.1177/09727531241306571.

Residents' Internet use, family economic status, and self-rated health: gender-based differences.

Yang X, Qi M BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):223.

PMID: 39833757 PMC: 11744871. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21371-w.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Addiction in India as Assessed by Young's Internet Addiction Test: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Tadpatrikar A, Sharma M, Amudhan S, Desai G Indian J Psychol Med. 2024; 46(6):511-520.

PMID: 39545126 PMC: 11558713. DOI: 10.1177/02537176241232110.

Path analysis reveals cross-country differences between Czech and Chinese university students in effect of internet and smartphone addiction, mental health, and personality traits on academic achievement in the post-pandemic era.

Kvintova J, Novotny J, Liu H, Vachova L, Kantor J BMC Psychol. 2024; 12(1):567.

PMID: 39420418 PMC: 11487747. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-02069-x.

Internet addiction, social phobia, substance abuse, and depression in the university setting: a cross-sectional study in the southern region of Morocco.

Ramdani F, Lahlou L, Merzouki M, Doufik J, El Oumary O, Akebour K Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1398989.

PMID: 39403243 PMC: 11471626. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1398989.

References

Wong N, Sarver D, Beidel D . Quality of life impairments among adults with social phobia: the impact of subtype. J Anxiety Disord. 2011; 26(1):50-7. PMC: 3254860. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.08.012. View

Vadher S, Panchal B, Vala A, Ratnani I, Vasava K, Desai R . Predictors of problematic Internet use in school going adolescents of Bhavnagar, India. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2019; 65(2):151-157. DOI: 10.1177/0020764019827985. View

Ohayon M, Schatzberg A . Social phobia and depression: prevalence and comorbidity. J Psychosom Res. 2010; 68(3):235-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.07.018. View

Nair M, Russell P, Mammen P, Abhiram Chandran R, Krishnan R, Nazeema S . ADad 3: the epidemiology of Anxiety Disorders among adolescents in a rural community population in India. Indian J Pediatr. 2013; 80 Suppl 2:S144-8. DOI: 10.1007/s12098-013-1097-5. View

Muller K, Koch A, Dickenhorst U, Beutel M, Duven E, Wolfling K . Addressing the question of disorder-specific risk factors of internet addiction: a comparison of personality traits in patients with addictive behaviors and comorbid internet addiction. Biomed Res Int. 2013; 2013:546342. PMC: 3707207. DOI: 10.1155/2013/546342. View

Koyuncu A, Ertekin E, Aslantas Ertekin B, Binbay Z, Yuksel C, Deveci E . Relationship between atypical depression and social anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2014; 225(1-2):79-84. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.10.014. View

Gupta A, Khan A, Rajoura O, Srivastava S . Internet addiction and its mental health correlates among undergraduate college students of a university in North India. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018; 7(4):721-727. PMC: 6131995. DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_266_17. View

Ruscio A, Brown T, Chiu W, Sareen J, Stein M, Kessler R . Social fears and social phobia in the USA: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Psychol Med. 2007; 38(1):15-28. PMC: 2262178. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291707001699. View

Yayan E, Arikan D, Saban F, Gurarslan Bas N, Ozel Ozcan O . Examination of the Correlation Between Internet Addiction and Social Phobia in Adolescents. West J Nurs Res. 2016; 39(9):1240-1254. DOI: 10.1177/0193945916665820. View

10.

Lydiard R . Social anxiety disorder: comorbidity and its implications. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001; 62 Suppl 1:17-23; discussion 24. View

11.

Vorcaro C, Rocha F, Uchoa E, Lima-Costa M . The burden of social phobia in a Brazilian community and its relationship with socioeconomic circumstances, health status and use of health services: the Bambuí study. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2004; 50(3):216-26. DOI: 10.1177/0020764004043131. View

12.

Singh L, Suchandra K, Pattajoshi A, Mamidipalli S, Kamal H, Singh S . Internet addiction and daytime sleepiness among professionals in India: A web-based survey. Indian J Psychiatry. 2019; 61(3):265-269. PMC: 6532455. DOI: 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_412_18. View

13.

Stein M, Walker J, Forde D . Setting diagnostic thresholds for social phobia: considerations from a community survey of social anxiety. Am J Psychiatry. 1994; 151(3):408-12. DOI: 10.1176/ajp.151.3.408. View

14.

Weidman A, Fernandez K, Levinson C, Augustine A, Larsen R, Rodebaugh T . Compensatory internet use among individuals higher in social anxiety and its implications for well-being. Pers Individ Dif. 2012; 53(3):191-195. PMC: 3392122. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.03.003. View

15.

Gratzer D, Khalid-Khan F . Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of psychiatric illness. CMAJ. 2015; 188(4):263-272. PMC: 4771536. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.150007. View

16.

Weinstein A, Dorani D, Elhadif R, Bukovza Y, Yarmulnik A, Dannon P . Internet addiction is associated with social anxiety in young adults. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2015; 27(1):4-9. View

17.

Kumar N, Kumar A, Mahto S, Kandpal M, Deshpande S, Tanwar P . Prevalence of excessive internet use and its correlation with associated psychopathology in 11th and 12th grade students. Gen Psychiatr. 2019; 32(2):e100001. PMC: 6551435. DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2018-100001. View

18.

Saikia A, Das J, Barman P, Bharali M . Internet Addiction and its Relationships with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Urban Adolescents of Kamrup District, Assam. J Family Community Med. 2019; 26(2):108-112. PMC: 6515762. DOI: 10.4103/jfcm.JFCM_93_18. View

19.

Yadav P, Banwari G, Parmar C, Maniar R . Internet addiction and its correlates among high school students: a preliminary study from Ahmedabad, India. Asian J Psychiatr. 2013; 6(6):500-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2013.06.004. View

20.

Dams J, Konig H, Bleibler F, Hoyer J, Wiltink J, Beutel M . Excess costs of social anxiety disorder in Germany. J Affect Disord. 2017; 213:23-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.01.041. View