Study links excessive Internet use with depression

LONDON (Reuters) – People who spend much time surfing the Internet is more likely to show symptoms of depression, British scientists said on Wednesday.

However, it is unclear whether the Internet causes depression or whether depressed people is dragged into the net.

Psychologists at Leeds University found what they described as “impressive” evidence that some avid Internet users develop compulsive habits that replace the social interaction in real life with the chats and social networking sites.

“The study reinforces the public speculation that participation in web pages that serve to replace normal social functions could be related to psychological disorders like depression and addiction,” said Catriona Morrison, leader of the study published in Psychopathology.

“This kind of addictive Internet surfing can have a serious impact on mental health,” he added.

In the first large study of young Westerners to look at this problem, researchers analyzed Internet use and depression levels of 1319 Britons aged between 16 and 51 years.

Of this total, 1.2 percent were “addicted to internet” they concluded.

This group spent proportionately more time searching for sexual gratification in websites and using online games and social networks, said Morrison.

The “internet addicts” also had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression that normal users.

“The excessive Internet use is associated with depression, but we do not know is which comes first: depressed people is dragged to the Internet or is the internet what causes depression?” Asked Morrison.

“What is clear is that a small subset of people, excessive Internet use could be a warning sign of depressive tendencies,” he said.

Morrison said that while those classified as “addicts” make up just 1.2 percent, the figure is higher than the incidence of persons addicted to gambling in Great Britain, which is about 0.6 percent.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Raquel Castillo in Madrid Writing, editing by Paul Casciato Spanish)

 

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