Dependência de internet em adolescentes do IFSUL-RS/Campus Pelotas: prevalência e fatores associados

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of internet addiction in adolescent students of the Pelotas Campus of the Instituto Federal Sul-Riograndense. Method: This is a cross-sectional study, with a sample of students aged 14 to 20 years as the target population. The sample selection was performed in a random way, in order to be representative of the 4083 students enrolled in the institution. Internet addiction was assessed through the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Presence of anxiety and / or depressive disorders was studied with the Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Results: The prevalence of internet addiction was 50.6%, being higher among individuals who presented positive screening for depressive or anxious disorders than among those who did not. There was an association between internet addiction and use of games. There was a tendency for the association between work / study-related access content and the presence of internet dependence. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to confirm the high prevalence of Internet addiction and to explore the characteristics of this phenomenon. The association of this dependence with positive screening for anxiety and / or depression makes it important to implement measures such as psychoeducation and the availability of treatment.