Gender and Grade Differences in the Relationship between Psychopathology and Internet Usage in Children and Adolescents / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and emotional and behavioral problems in 5th and 6th grade elementary school students and middle school students. METHODS: Two elementary school and two middle schools were chosen to participate. The participants completed self-report questionnaires designed by authors, an internet addiction scale, and the Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR). RESULTS: The prevalence of internet addiction was 1.5%. We defined the upper 30% of internet addiction scores as an addiction tendency group and the lower 30% as a control group. There were significant differences in the gender ratio, age, and average length of each internet use, years of internet use experience, and exposure to pornography between the two groups. Linear regression analysis showed that significant association was found between internet addiction scores and withdrawn problems in middle school students but not in elementary school students. The level of internet addiction was associated with a high occurrence rate of total behavioral problems and delinquent behavior problems in boys and depression/anxiety problems in girls. CONCLUSION: This data supports that withdrawn and delinquent behaviors could be predictable factors of internet addiction, and gender differences may exist in the development of internet addiction. The intervention focused on these findings could be effective to prevent and treat internet addiction in children and adolescents.