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Backgrounds: Internet is a communication tool commonly used throughout the world and is increasingly enlarged as time passes. It is known that the prevalence of internet use is higher among adolescents and the young adults all over the world. It was reported that the age group, which uses internet most commonly is in the age group of 16-24 years. Although internet has many important advantages, its adverse effects may also arise especially in relation to its aim, mode and duration of use. Internet dependence is also called as problematic internet use (PIU) in the literature and is defined as “the inability of the individual to control him/herself impulsively in relation to duration or aim of activity and experiencing physical, social and psychological difficulties in consequence’’.
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) among the students of Faculty of Medicine and to evaluate the relation between PIU and some socio-demographic characteristics, loneliness, alexithymia and probability of suicide.
Methods: A total of 328 (42,3% male, 57,7% female) subjects completed four instruments: Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), UCLA loneliness scale (UCLA-LS), The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS).
Results: PIU was detected in 6,4% of the participants. Its prevalence was higher in males than females (p=0.009). We found significant correlation between UCLA, TAS-20, SPS and PIU. In the evaluation of the correlation between PIU and subscales of SPS, no significant relation was found between PIU and Negative Self-Evaluation subscale (r=0.046, p=0.409), while significant relation was found with Hopelessness, Suicide Ideation and Hostility.
Conclusions: PIU was found at a higher rate in male sex and was found to be associated with loneliness, alexithymia and probability of suicide among the students of faculty of medicine. It is thought that, as internet has become an ubiquitous device that everyone can have access to easily, life style and personality characteristics are important in PIU rather than socio-economic factors. We believe that recognition of these factors related to problematic internet use will help the clinicians working on this issue.