Association between smartphone addiction and mental health among high school students in Bangkok, Thailand: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The technology today is rapidly and continuously intervening into people’s lives, and when people become too addict to electronic devices has shown series of abnormality of health problems which including both physical and mental. As it mentioned, the study aims to examine the relationship of smartphone addiction and mental health specifically in depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aims to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction and mental health among high school students in Bangkok, Thailand. There were sample of 420 high school students in Bangkok, Thailand who participated in self-administrated questionnaires for a cross-sectional study of smartphone addiction and mental health. The prevalence of smartphone addiction among high school students in Bangkok, Thailand was 52.1. Additionally, there were significant association found between smartphone addiction and depression [OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.16 – 4.13], anxiety [OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.36 – 3.45]. In contrast, there was no significant association found between smartphone addiction and stress [OR 3.73, 95% CI 0.77 – 17.95]. The prevalence of depression was 13.3%, the prevalence of anxiety was 30.2%, and the prevalence of stress was 3.3%. As the significant values were found in smartphone addiction and depression, anxiety, but not stress among high school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Therefore, for further research, investigation in other spectrums of mental health should be considered.