Excessive internet use as a risk factor for suicide ideation among university students in Malawi: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundCovid 19 has fast‐paced the use of technological innovations, mainly the internet. However, Internet use can lead to several behavioral and psychological conditions, such as cyberbullying and distorted relationships, which could lead to suicide ideation. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults.AimTo assess the association between Internet addiction and suicide ideation among university students in Malawi. Furthermore, to assess the factors associated with suicidal thoughts among Malawian college students who surf the World Wide Web.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study utilized secondary research and used data available from https://data.mendeley.com/drafts/xbfbcy5bhv. Internet addiction was measured using the Internet Addiction Test. The dependent variable includes suicide ideation. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsOut of the 620 participants, 514 (82.2%) were aged between 15 and 24. The majority were males 401 (64.7%). The mean IAT score was 46.08 (SD = 14.60). The IAT score was 44.81 (SD = 13.85) among males and 48.40 (SD = 15.65) among females (p = 0.003). About 341 (55%) of students use the internet excessively. Suicide ideation was prevalent among 101 (16.3%) of the students. Suicide ideation was significantly associated with internet addiction. (p < 0.001). The odds of developing suicidal thoughts increased about 3 times among excessive internet users compared to average users (OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.213–7.018). However, age, gender, discipline, and year of study were not associated with suicide ideation.ConclusionThe study suggests that internet addiction affects suicide ideation mainly through distorting social relationships. School settings should increase awareness regarding the safe use of the internet to ensure a balance between online and real‐life interactions and curb suicide.