The COVID-19 pandemic and problematic usage of the internet: findings from a diverse adult sample in South Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic and problematic usage of the internet: findings from a diverse adult sample in South Africa
Background: the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has led to increased reliance on the internet. How problematic usage of the internet (PUI) and COVID-19 related stress and other clinical variables relate, is unknown. We hypothesised that higher PUI level would be significantly associated with higher levels of: (i) pandemic-related stress; and (ii) impulsive and compulsive symptoms and traits.
Methods: an online community-based cross-sectional survey was used for data collection. Relationships between PUI level and other variables were characterised using correlational analyses. Regression analyses determined the cumulative explanatory power of variables, with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to explore path loadings. ANOVA was used to investigate PUI level at varying lockdown levels.
Results: data from 2110 participants (64.5% female), aged 18–64 years (mean: 24.3, SD: 8.1) suggested that approximately a quarter (n = 489, 23.2%) had medium to high level internet use problems. Impulsive and compulsive symptoms and traits, pandemic-stress, and age were all significantly related to PUI (p < 0.01). These associations (medium effect sizes) cumulatively explained 29% of PUI variance. PLS-SEM indicated significant contributory effects, with the association between age and PUI level mediated by impulsivity, pandemic-stress and compulsivity.
Discussion: pandemic-stress, impulsive-compulsive symptoms and traits and age were related to PUI level. Enhancing resilience to stress, particularly in vulnerable populations, through lifestyle changes and implementation of adaptive coping strategies, is key to reduce risk for PUI during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
229-235
Lochner, Christine
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Albertella, Lucy
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Kidd, Martin
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Kilic, Zelal
15666111-f159-43a1-ac33-905ac8b34963
Ioannidis, Konstantinos
82240a24-3153-45bb-bfaf-c6df9cd4f261
Grant, Jon E.
68b74bfc-0910-4325-aa34-24d285abfc19
Yücel, Murat
aff092ea-35e0-476a-b9bf-ace9b84aa1e1
Stein, Dan J.
fa245942-40ba-471f-921b-78e9a6ad2cc1
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
13 July 2022
Lochner, Christine
8e428f81-855d-467b-9805-49e387f66683
Albertella, Lucy
c95a7a69-10d8-4549-a155-55a42170d8c0
Kidd, Martin
7ea544cc-1f52-4c2d-a1ed-e86df13f0cb9
Kilic, Zelal
15666111-f159-43a1-ac33-905ac8b34963
Ioannidis, Konstantinos
82240a24-3153-45bb-bfaf-c6df9cd4f261
Grant, Jon E.
68b74bfc-0910-4325-aa34-24d285abfc19
Yücel, Murat
aff092ea-35e0-476a-b9bf-ace9b84aa1e1
Stein, Dan J.
fa245942-40ba-471f-921b-78e9a6ad2cc1
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
Lochner, Christine, Albertella, Lucy, Kidd, Martin, Kilic, Zelal, Ioannidis, Konstantinos, Grant, Jon E., Yücel, Murat, Stein, Dan J. and Chamberlain, Samuel R.
(2022)
The COVID-19 pandemic and problematic usage of the internet: findings from a diverse adult sample in South Africa.
Journal of Psychiatric Research, 153, .
(doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.035).
Abstract
Background: the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has led to increased reliance on the internet. How problematic usage of the internet (PUI) and COVID-19 related stress and other clinical variables relate, is unknown. We hypothesised that higher PUI level would be significantly associated with higher levels of: (i) pandemic-related stress; and (ii) impulsive and compulsive symptoms and traits.
Methods: an online community-based cross-sectional survey was used for data collection. Relationships between PUI level and other variables were characterised using correlational analyses. Regression analyses determined the cumulative explanatory power of variables, with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to explore path loadings. ANOVA was used to investigate PUI level at varying lockdown levels.
Results: data from 2110 participants (64.5% female), aged 18–64 years (mean: 24.3, SD: 8.1) suggested that approximately a quarter (n = 489, 23.2%) had medium to high level internet use problems. Impulsive and compulsive symptoms and traits, pandemic-stress, and age were all significantly related to PUI (p < 0.01). These associations (medium effect sizes) cumulatively explained 29% of PUI variance. PLS-SEM indicated significant contributory effects, with the association between age and PUI level mediated by impulsivity, pandemic-stress and compulsivity.
Discussion: pandemic-stress, impulsive-compulsive symptoms and traits and age were related to PUI level. Enhancing resilience to stress, particularly in vulnerable populations, through lifestyle changes and implementation of adaptive coping strategies, is key to reduce risk for PUI during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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Accepted/In Press date: 24 June 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 June 2022
Published date: 13 July 2022
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 491872
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491872
ISSN: 0022-3956
PURE UUID: ac53e1c9-3d05-4129-b1a5-ba5503aac13f
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2024 17:56
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 02:06
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Contributors
Author:
Christine Lochner
Author:
Lucy Albertella
Author:
Martin Kidd
Author:
Zelal Kilic
Author:
Konstantinos Ioannidis
Author:
Jon E. Grant
Author:
Murat Yücel
Author:
Dan J. Stein
Author:
Samuel R. Chamberlain
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