Prevalence of internet addiction and its association with anxiety, depression, and stress in high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aims: The COVID-19 pandemic threatened human health from March 2020 to June 2021. The need to maintain social distancing, school closures, online education, and spending a lot of time on the internet made students addicted to the Internet, which endangered their mental health. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction and its relationship with anxiety, stress, and depression in high school students in Shahrekord. Methods: The present cross-sectional study examined 420 female and male students who were selected from high schools in Shahrekord city from 2020 to 2021. This study used a two-part questionnaire, including demographic information, and the Yang Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) to investigate internet addiction status. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was utilized to investigate depression, anxiety, and stress in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: In terms of the prevalence of internet addiction among students during the COVID-19 pandemic, 76% did not have an internet addiction, 22.3% were prone to internet addiction, and 1.7% had severe internet addiction. The mean anxiety, stress, and depression scores in students addicted to the internet were significantly higher than normal users (P<0.001). There was no significant relationship between internet addiction and gender, education level, job, and parents’ education (P>0.05). Conclusion: Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the provision of time for excessive use of the internet by students, interventional measures and teaching the correct and planned use of the internet seem essential to maintain the students’ health.