Internet use patterns and the relation between generalized problematic internet use and psychological distress in Portuguese university students

• Autor(es): Maia, Berta Rodrigues ; Marques, Mariana ; Pereira, Ana Telma ; Macedo, António
• Data: 2020
• Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/32403
• Origem: Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Assunto(s): Generalized problematic internet use; Internet use patterns; Psychological distress; University students; Patrones de uso de Internet; uso problemático generalizado de Internet; distrés psicológico; estudiantes universitarios
• Tipo de Documento: Artigo científico
• Idioma: Inglês
• Contribuidor(es): Veritati

Descrição

Internet use patterns, generalized problematic internet use, and the latter’s relation to psychological distress were explored in a sample of 503 university students (Mage = 20.25; SD = 2.75). A questionnaire about internet use patterns, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales were answered. The students spent 5 hours online on a daily basis. The total generalized problematic internet use index score corresponded to a medium-risk level, with 12.9% of men and 5.0% of women presenting a high-risk level. Higher total generalized problematic internet use risk levels corresponded to higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Our results seem to show that university students constitute a particularly vulnerable group in terms of problematic internet use, supporting the relation between generalized problematic internet use and psychological distress.