Internet addiction in adolescents: Role of family, personality and comorbid psychopathology in school children in Eastern India

CONTEXT: There is an increasing prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but very few Indian studies have assessed and taken into account various factors that can explain internet addiction in this vulnerable population. AIMS: We examine the differences in family functioning, temperament, character and psychopathology in adolescents with and without internet addiction. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: 1000 adolescents from urban middle-class families were included in this cross-sectional, two-randomized-group designed, comparative study. Clinical and control group population were selected from high schools. Those with severe internet addiction were compared to those with no addiction. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Internet Addiction Test, Temperament and Character Inventory, Devereux Scale of Mental Disorders and McMaster Family Assessment Device were administered along with General Health and CRAFFT Questionnaire as screening tool. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Mann–Whitney U test was done along with Spearman’s rank-difference coefficient of correlation. RESULT: Adolescents with internet addiction had high novelty seeking and low persistence. Internet addiction was also associated with conduct problems and depression. There was a significant positive association between depression and years of internet usage. Family of adolescents with internet addiction had increased difficulty in problem solving, communication, affective responsiveness, affective involvement and behavior control. CONCLUSION: Adolescents with internet addiction have temperament difficulties, more psychopathology and belong to dysfunctional families. Since the family plays a central role in an Indian context, family-focused strategies must also be included in the management of internet addiction.