Burden of internet addiction, social anxiety and social phobia among University students, India

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental health disorder affecting adolescents often associated with comorbidities like depression, suicide ideation and substance abuse. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of social anxiety in adolescents and to explore its correlation with internet usage. METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 undergraduate students to screen for social anxiety and social phobia using a validated instrument, social interaction anxiety scale (SIAS). Young's internet addiction scale was used for measuring internet addiction. Respondents were categorised according to the scores obtained and later compared with their internet addiction behaviours. RESULTS: Internet addiction was seen in 93.8% of respondents. The prevalence of SAD was estimated to be 15.3%. Internet addiction was positively correlated with social anxiety score (Pearson correlation = 0.994, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: More than 90% of participants had internet addiction, the majority had mild-moderate internet addiction. Social anxiety was present in more than one-third of the participants. SAD was found to be associated with internet addiction.