Cyberaddiction in the medical setting: A study of 45 cases

Introduction Internet use can become uncontrollable, leading to physical and psychological suffering and what is known as cyberaddiction. Objectives To assess the frequency of cyberaddiction in a population of young doctors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a population of young doctors. We collected socio-professional and medical data using a Google Forms self-questionnaire. The Young scale was recommended for screening for cyberaddiction. A score ≥5 indicates Internet addiction. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was adopted to reveal anxiety-depressive disorders. Results A total of 45 physicians responded to our survey. The mean age was 29.93±4.8 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.3. Participants were single in 69% of cases. Residents represented 64% of the population. Physicians were family medicine residents in 11% of cases. The mean Young’s score was 3.13±1.97/8. Cyberaddiction was noted in 24% of cases. A definite anxiety-depressive disorder was found in 6.7% and 13.3% of cases respectively. Internet addiction was significantly associated with female gender (p<0.05) and a positive HAD (A) score (p=0.03). Conclusions According to the results of our study, cyberaddiction is common among medical staff. A preventive strategy is needed to counter the harmful effects of this addiction. Disclosure of Interest None Declared