Effects of excessive use of mobile phone technology in India on human health during COVID-19 lockdown

The relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in medical students

This study investigates the prevalence of mobile phone addiction among medical students and its relationship with depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. The study was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from 2019 to 2021, and it included medical students at four different levels of training. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. All subjects completed the Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory through online electronic self-report questionnaires. Overall, 355 medical students were included in the study, with 203 (57.2%) being female. Mild and severe mobile phone addiction was reported by 83.7 and 2.5% of the students, respectively. Furthermore, the study's findings revealed significantly higher sleep quality disorder, depression, and anxiety scores among students with severe mobile phone addiction compared to other participants ( P  < 0.001, P  = 0.007, and P  < 0.001, respectively). Although mobile phone addiction was prevalent, severe addiction was rare among medical students. Nevertheless, severe addiction was associated with an increased prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbances, emphasizing the importance of interventions aimed at reducing mobile phone addiction and improving mental health.

The Prevalence of Nomophobia in Medical Undergraduate Students of Central India

Introduction Nomophobia is an emerging phobia resulting from people's excessive interaction with mobile phones. This phobia is rapidly increasing due to significant technological innovations and widespread acceptance and usage of mobile phones worldwide. Nomophobia is often associated with complications such as panic attacks, irritability, and anxiety. Smartphone usage is particularly high among the younger population, raising concerns as it generates distress and leads to various problems. This study aims to determine the prevalence of nomophobia among undergraduates. Method  The study utilized the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) with a minimum sample size of 136. A total of 300 Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, California) were circulated, out of which 172 responses were received. A Google Form comprising 20 questions related to smartphone use and nomophobia was designed and distributed to all undergraduate students, who were requested to complete the form. The data based on their responses were subsequently analyzed. Results In this study, approximately 31.40% of students disagreed with experiencing panic when running out of credits or hitting monthly data limits. Additionally, 24.42% of students agreed that not having smartphones made them worried, as their family and friends could not contact them. About 16.86% of students strongly disagreed with feeling uneasy because they could not stay updated without their phones. Furthermore, 16.28% strongly agreed that they felt anxious due to the inability to contact their family and friends when not having smartphones. Conclusion It can be concluded from this study that nomophobia is present among undergraduate students. The overall usage of smartphones has increased in this population, highlighting the emergence of a serious disorder that warrants attention. Consequently, the usage of smartphones should be reduced through structured training programs, as this proves to be an effective method for enhancing undergraduates' understanding of the prevention and treatment of nomophobia.

The longitudinal relationship between loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction among rural left-behind children: A cross-lagged panel analysis

INTRODUCTION

Left-behind children are a special group that needs urgent attention. Due to enduring separation from their parents, loneliness is considered the most common and prevalent developmental hurdle in the experiences of left-behind children. This longitudinal cross-lagged study examined the direction of the association between loneliness and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with considering gender and left-behind status differences.

METHODS

A total of 1175 rural Chinese children (48.3% boys, 39.9% left-behind children, Mage  = 14.54 ± 1.18 at baseline) completed self-reported loneliness, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction at two-time points with 6 months intervals. Descriptive statistics, cross-lagged panel analysis, and multiple group analysis were estimated in the present study.

RESULTS

Loneliness exacerbated social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa. In addition, gender and left-behind status moderated these relationships, with boys more likely to be mobile phone addicted due to loneliness and girls more likely to be lonely due to mobile phone addiction. More importantly, left-behind children with loneliness are more prone to social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa, compared with non-left-behind children.

CONCLUSIONS

The targeted interventions should be carried out for different genders and left-behind statuses. Particularly for left-behind children, neglecting to address both the symptoms of loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction could significantly undermine the efficacy of intervention programs that solely target either one of these afflictions.

Engaging in physical activity instead of (over)using the smartphone: An experimental investigation of lifestyle interventions to prevent problematic smartphone use and to promote mental health

Aim

Tendencies of problematic smartphone use (PSU) have risen during the past decade. As PSU is consistently linked to mental health issues, measures to prevent its appearance and to promote mental health are urgently required.

Subject and Methods

The present study investigated the impact of three interventions on health behavior, PSU, positive mental health (PMH), and depression and anxiety symptoms. Overall, 503 persons from Germany (M age = 29.19, SD age = 10.51, range: 18-79) participated in the study. Over 14 days, the three experimental groups (a) reduced their daily smartphone use time by 60 minutes, (b) increased their daily level of physical activity by 30 minutes, and (c) combined both measures. The control group continued its behavior as usual. Outcomes were assessed via online surveys at five measurement time points (baseline, intermediate, post-intervention, and 1 and 3 months after the intervention).

Results

All interventions resulted in a significant increase in weekly physical activity and in reduced symptoms of PSU, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, the smartphone reduction and the combination of both measures contributed to a significant reduction of participants' daily smartphone use and higher levels of PMH. The effects of the reduction of smartphone use time and its combination with increased physical activity were more stable in the longer term than the increase in physical activity only.

Conclusion

Combined with an increase in physical activity, the reduction of smartphone use time could serve as an efficient and cost-effective measure for the prevention of PSU and the promotion of mental health.

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the general population at any age, but it is expected to have a protracted and severe consequences for younger populations. The pandemic has had several consequences on mental health including anger and irritability, depressive symptoms and somatic complaints, insomnia, lack of motivation, and loneliness. In particular, loneliness and its related negative feelings are thought to be particularly pronounced during young adulthood because of the many social changes that young people deal with during this period of life. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the type of impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people and their levels of loneliness experienced during the first phase of the lockdown. Based on the largest Italian study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of general population, in this paper we aim to: (1) describe the levels of loneliness in a national sample of Italian young adults aged 18-34 years, during the first wave of lockdown in 2020; (2) evaluate the clinical and socio-demographic differences in young adults reporting low vs. high levels of loneliness; (3) assess the role of clinical symptomatology, coping strategies, levels of resilience, and duration of lockdown as possible predictors of loneliness. The final sample consists of 8,584 people, mainly female (72.6%), single, with a mean age of 26.4 (±4.4) years. The mean score at the UCLA was 47.5 (±13.6), with 27% (N = 2,311) of respondents exceeding the cut-off for high levels of loneliness. High levels of loneliness were predicted by the presence of avoidant coping strategies, such as self-distraction (Beta coefficient, B = 0.369, 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.328-0.411), venting (B = 0.245, 95% CI = 0.197-0.293), denial (B = 0.110, 95% CI = 0.061-0.159), and emotional disengagement (B = 0.133, 95% CI = 0.080-0.185). Weeks of exposure to the pandemic were significantly associated with worsening of loneliness (p < 0.000). There is currently considerable interest in trying to reduce loneliness, both within the context of COVID-19 and more generally. Our results highlight that young people are at a higher risk of developing loneliness and suggest that more interventions and practical guidelines are needed.