Smartphone use and its relationship with addiction, depression, and anxiety among undergraduate medical students in Nawabshah, Pakistan: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objective: 1. To investigate smartphone use and severity of addiction, anxiety and depression. 2. To find out the relationship between smartphone use with addiction, anxiety and depression. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: At MBBS and Allied (DPT, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Public Health & Nursing) Departments of Peoples University of Health Sciences for Women, Shaheed Benazirabad, Pakistan. Period: from August 2023 to January 2024. Methods: Among undergraduate medical students aged 18 to 25 the study's sample size was 350, and a multistage random sampling technique was used to select the participants from the Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women. After approval by the institution, data were collected from the medical students using validated tools, including smartphone addiction (SAS scale), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25. A chi-square test was used to identify the association between smartphone usage and addiction, depression, and anxiety, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The findings revealed that half the students (49.7%) spent more than 6 hours per day on their mobile screens. (49.1%) of medical students reported having a high prevalence of smartphone addiction, (48.6%) reported having moderate to severe depression, and (55.8%) reported having moderate to severe anxiety. Addiction, depression, and anxiety scores were higher among the excessive smartphone use group than in the low smartphone users. A statistically positive association was found between smartphone usage and the addiction level, depression level, and anxiety level scores. Conclusion: This study highlights the overdependence on smartphones among medical students and the positive association between smartphone usage and mental health outcomes like addiction, anxiety and depression among PUMHSW medical students in Pakistan. Excessive screen time can impact students' academic performance, sleep quality, and eating behaviors.