Study the relation between internet usage and the occurrence of depression among Kirkuk technical students

Abstract

Background: Internet is regarded as one of the most indispensable parts in our life, and majority of young and adolescent people interested in the usage of it, but in some cases, these uses are become out of the control which later on lead to a condition called internet addiction in which it will be the predominant life activity. Objective: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on Kirkuk Technical Institute students from January 1, 2017, to May 30, 2017 to study, if there is any relation between the occurrence of depression and internet usage. Materials and Methods: The total number of students included in the study was 550 from different scientific departments after distributing a special questionnaire form prepared for that purpose, and face-to-face interview was conducted after receiving the written consent from them. Results: The study results show that 60.8% of technical study students and 47.3% of students from administrative departments used internet daily, while 46.0% of students of health department used it weekly. In addition to that 72.1% and 67.8% male students from technical and administrative departments used internet daily, while female students from all departments (technical, administrative, and health) used the internet monthly; in addition to that 53.1% of students from administrative departments have a depressive attempts which affects daily activity and work in comparison to 18.5% of students from technical departments. Conclusion: The study concluded that the time spent for internet was about 7–9 h/daily with the presence of a suggestive depressive symptom which affects daily activity and work. Recommendations: The study recommended that further advanced educational programs about the main adverse effects of the internet and the main possible ways to control its usage.