Internet addiction and loneliness among school-going adolescents in Bangladesh in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a cross-sectional study.

Internet addiction (IA) by children and adolescents is a concern for parents. The intensity of this problem has increased in the context of COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Here we aimed to evaluate internet usage patterns, addiction to internet use, and mental health among Bangladeshi school-going adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted this cross-sectional study among 502 school-going adolescents. Pre-structured questionnaire was used to collect information related to demographics and the internet usage pattern. We assessed the prevalence of IA and loneliness using the internet addiction test (IAT) scale and UCLA-3 loneliness scale. The prevalence of IA and loneliness among Bangladeshi school-going adolescents were 88.25% and 72.51%, respectively. Individuals with English-medium education, higher classes, high economic status, mobile internet connection, online gaming habits, and living without family showed significantly higher levels of IA. Moreover, a high proportion of loneliness was observed among individuals with high financial conditions, mobile internet connection, and who watch movies on the internet. The present study findings suggest a strong association between demographics, internet usage patterns, IA, and the mental health of adolescents. These results would have practical inferences in clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and related fields. Based on this finding, the healthcare authorities and professionals can develop an inclusive interventional approach for adolescents who suffer from IA and mental health disorders.

Problematic internet use and depressive symptoms among the school-going adolescents in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study findings.

Background and Aims: Problematic internet use (PIU) by children and adolescents is a concern for many parents. Several factors, including students' education level, the method of instruction, the dependence on the internet, and their intended use of the internet, could all be contributing factors to PIU and depression. Disturbed mental health may be attributed to the cancellation of physical education classes because of the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aimed to assess the association of COVID-19 pandemic with PIU and depressive symptoms in adolescent students. Methods: We performed this cross-sectional study among 491 school-going adolescents of 10 to 16 years. Self-administered questionnaires were applied to collect sociodemographic information and the internet usage pattern of the participants. We measured the prevalence of PIU and depressive symptoms using the PIU questionnaire (PIUQ-SF-6) and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: The estimations of the risk group for PIU and depressive symptoms among school-going adolescents were 80.04% and 77.80%, respectively. The latent profiling of PIU scores for obsession, neglect, and control sub-groups were 5.82, 6.12, and 6.35, respectively. Moreover, we observed mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms in 48.68%, 27.70%, and 1.43% of cases. Age, education level, medium of education, financial impression, internet connection, the device used, the purpose for internet use, and the living status of respondents were significantly associated with the PIU. Reported mental health issues was associated with education level, medium of education, financial impression, and internet connection. Conclusion: The present study revealed an association of PIU and depressive symptoms with sociodemographic factors and internet usage patterns. Therefore, these results might have practical implications in clinical psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy. The healthcare professional can develop a context-specific comprehensive clinical intervention plan for children and adolescents.