Background: There is a close association between problematic Internet use (PIU), sleep quality, and mental health problems. To evaluate which mental health problem is more associated with coexistence of both PIU and poor sleep quality, we hypothesized a model in which PIU influences sleep quality directly and also through the mediation of three different mental health problems.
Methods: A total of 402 medical students completed the Persian versions of the Internet Addiction Test, 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A maximum likelihood structural equation model was used to assess the hypothesis. For assessment of the indirect effects, bootstrapping was conducted.
Results: PIU predicted poor sleep quality through indirect pathways by the mediation of mental health problems (P < 0.001). Poor sleep quality were associated with depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.035), and stress (P < 0.001); however, the direct pathways from stress and anxiety to poor sleep quality were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Findings extend our previous knowledge about the interrelationships between PIU, sleep disturbances, and mental health problems by unveiling the key role of depressive symptoms.
Keywords: Depressive symptoms are the most prevalent mental health problems in co-occurrence of both problematic Internet use and poor sleep quality among medical students. The critical point to prevent poor sleep quality as a consequence of problematic Internet use and mental health problems is to prevent depressive symptoms.; Internet; Iran; medical students; mental health; sleep.
Copyright: © 2020 Indian Psychiatric Society - South Zonal Branch.