Smartphone addiction and anxiety disorder among medical students in Sofia – a preliminary study

Abstract Background Digital addictions and their influence on mental health are being intensively studied nowadays but scientific data about Bulgaria is still scarce. The study is focused on the prevalence of nomophobia among medical students, its relationship with anxiety and motivation for seeking...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of public health 2020-09, Vol.30 (Supplement_5)
Main Authors: Pravchanska, M, Velkova, A, Georgieva, L, Georgieva, E, Pesheva, P, Hristov, N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders
Cross-sectional studies
Dependence
Females
Foreign students
Generalized anxiety disorder
Health education
Health promotion
Males
Medical students
Mental health
Morbidity
Motivation
Program implementation
Public health
Smartphones
Students
Subgroups
Young adults
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Summary:Abstract Background Digital addictions and their influence on mental health are being intensively studied nowadays but scientific data about Bulgaria is still scarce. The study is focused on the prevalence of nomophobia among medical students, its relationship with anxiety and motivation for seeking professional help. Methods The cross-sectional study included 369 medical students, age 19-34 (mean 23) years. We analyzed the whole group and subgroups of Bulgarian/foreign students and second-/sixth-year students. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire including smartphone addiction scale (SAS) with a 4-point Lickert scale, a 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale and socio-demographic questions. Results The prevalence of mild smartphone addiction was 55% and of moderate one 30%. The dependency score was higher in the groups with a moderate and severe level of anxiety (P 
ISSN:1101-1262
1464-360X
DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.063