SOCIAL NETWORKS, INTERNET AND MEDICAL STUDENTS: RELATIONSHIP WITH SIGNS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlation between indicators of internet and social media use and the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms in undergraduate medical students. Methodology: Quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study, conducted with 174 medical students from a private institution in a large city in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais. Sociodemographic questionnaires, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were applied. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, Spearman correlations and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis comparative tests. Results: Most participants presented mild internet addiction (55.75%), minimal levels of anxiety (51.72%) and depression (62.07%). Significant positive correlations were identified between IAT-BAI (rho=0.3442; p<0.001), IAT-BDI (rho=0.3543; p<0.001) and BAI-BDI (rho=0.5975; p<0.001). Female participants presented significantly higher levels of anxiety (p=0.0002). A dose-response relationship was observed between time of internet use and addiction scores (p=0.0032). Conclusion: A significant association was found between problematic internet use and symptoms of anxiety and depression in medical students, with a worrying prevalence of psychological distress in this population. The findings highlight the need for preventive interventions and strengthening of mental health support services in the academic environment.