Scholarly record
DEPRESSION AND EXCESSIVE USE OF INTERNET AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
Abstract
According to the National Authority for Persons with Disabilities, in 2017 there were 791.761 Romanians with disabilities. Disability is a dynamic construct, outlined at the interplay between medical impairments, personal factors and social and environmental barriers that impede equal chances and normal participation in the community. The goal of the current study is to catch a glimpse into internet usage among people with disabilities. Internet of Things comes as a valuable asset in helping them connect with others and increase own quality of life. Nevertheless, its excessive use may interfere with daily activities and/or signal other problems. Our research focuses on depression and its possible connection to four defining features of internet overuse: lack of control, tolerance, abstinence problems and consequences on everyday functioning. We gathered cross-sectional data from a sample of 113 Romanians with rare diseases and intellectual, sensorial, physical, and associate disabilities (M age =33.99; SD=12.23 years). To operationalize depression and internet overuse we applied two self-report questionnaires: BDI (Beck, Steer & Brown, 1996) and IOS (Jenaro et al., 2007). The association between depression and internet overuse was not statistically significant. The effect sizes were small (r1=.11, r2=.13, r3=.07, r4=.05). Furthermore, we computed the contingency table for the relationship between internet addiction/non-addiction and depressed/non-depressed categories. The result of the chi-square test was also not statistically significant (?2(1)=2.32; phi=-.14ns). Understanding internet usage among people with disabilities can be useful in planning targeted health interventions. Therefore, we encourage further research using more homogenous Romanian samples in terms of disability type and age.
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References13
Banjanin, N., Banjanin, N., Dimitrijevic, I., & Pantic, I. (2015). Relationship between internet use and depression: Focus on physiological mood oscillations, social networking and online addictive behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 308-312.
Beranuy, M., Oberst, U., Carbonell, X., & Chamarro, A. (2009). Problematic Internet and mobile phone use and clinical symptoms in college students: The role of emotional intelligence. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(5), 1182-1187.
Hadlington, L. J. (2015). Cognitive failures in daily life: Exploring the link with Internet addiction and problematic mobile phone use. Computers in Human Behavior, 51, 75-81.
Reed, P., Vile, R., Osborne, L. A., Romano, M., & Truzoli, R. (2015). Problematic Internet usage and immune function. PlosOne, 10(8), 1-16.
Mohammadbeigi, A., Absari, R., Valizadeh, F., Saadati, M., Sharifimoghadam, S., Ahmadi, A., … Ansari, H. (2016). Sleep Quality in Medical Students; the Impact of Over-Use of Mobile Cell-Phone and Social Networks. Journal of Research in Health Sciences, 16(1), 46-50.
Cheng, C., Sun, P., & Mak, K.-K. (2015). Internet Addiction and Psychosocial Maladjustment: Avoidant Coping and Coping Inflexibility as Psychological Mechanisms. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(9), 539-546. doi.org:DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2015.0121
Ostovar, S., Allahyar, N., Aminpoor, H., Moafian, F., Nor, M. B. M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2016). Internet Addiction and its Psychosocial Risks (Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Loneliness) among Iranian Adolescents and Young Adults: A Structural Equation Model in a Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14(3), 257-267. doi.org:/DOI: 10.1007/s11469-015-9628-0
Buijs, P. C. M., Boot, E., Shugar, A., Fung, W. L. A., & Bassett, A. S. (2017). Internet Safety Issues for Adolescents and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(2), 416-418. doi.org:DOI: 10.1111/jar.12250
Jenaro, C., Flores, N., Cruz, M., Pérez, M. C., Vega, V., & Torres, V. A. (2018). Internet and cell phone usage patterns among young adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(2), 259-272. doi.org:DOI: 10.1111/jar.12388
Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
Jenaro, C., Flores, N., Gómez-Vela, M., González-Gil, F., & Caballo, C. (2007). Problematic internet and cell-phone use: Psychological, behavioral, and health correlates. Addiction Research & Theory, 15(3), 309-320.
Wagenmakers, E. J., Marsman, M., Jamil, T., Ly, A., Verhagen, J., Love, J.,... & Matzke, D. (2017). Bayesian inference for psychology. Part I: Theoretical advantages and practical ramifications. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 1-23. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-017-1343-3
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition: DSM 5. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.
