Adult ADHD and internet addiction among undergraduate medical college students

Abstract

Attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was originally defined in children but is now recognized to persist into adulthood or is independently diagnosed in some adults. It is associated with impairment across multiple domains, including home, college and, work and can lead to excessive internet usage, social withdrawal, substance abuse disorders, fatigue, job loss, mood changes, and distress. To look for adult ADHD and Internet Addiction among undergraduate medical college students. Designed as a cross-sectional study conducted on undergraduate medical college students. This is a cross-sectional study involving 501 undergraduate medical college students between 18-25 years of age. The Adult ADHD Self-report scale (ASRSv1.2) was applied to screen for adult ADHD. Young’s internet addiction scale (IAT) was applied to look for internet addiction. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 25. The mean age of the participants was 20.3 years. Most of the participants (54.9%) who screened positive for adult ADHD belonged to the younger age group (20-21 years). Mild internet addiction was seen in 34.5% of the participants, moderate in 6.4%, severe in 0.2 % and 58.9% had no internet addiction. Students who had screened positive for adult ADHD reported more addictive tendencies. Higher levels of ADHD symptoms were associated with increased Internet addiction among undergraduate medical college students. This study shows that adult ADHD can be one of the reasons leading to internet addiction among students. An understanding of the magnitude of the problem is essential for early screening and timely psychiatric intervention for the better functional outcome for the students.