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People who spend a lot of time surfing the internet are more likely to show
signs of depression, British scientists said on Wednesday.
But it is not clear whether the internet causes depression or whether
depressed people are drawn to it.
Psychologists from Leeds University found what they said was "striking"
evidence that some avid net users develop compulsive internet habits in which
they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social
networking sites.
"This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in
websites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to
psychological disorders like depression and addiction," the study's lead author,
Catriona Morrison, wrote in the journal Psychopathology.
"This type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental
health."
In the first large-scale study of Western young people to look at this
issue, the researchers analyzed internet use and depression levels of 1,319
Britons aged between 16 and 51.
Of these, 1.2 percent were "internet addicted", they concluded.
These "internet addicts" spent proportionately more time browsing sexually
gratifying websites, online gaming sites and online communities, Morrison said.
They also had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression than normal
users.
"Excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don't
know is which comes first -- are depressed people drawn to the internet or does
the internet cause depression?," Morrison said.
"What is clear is that for a small subset of people, excessive use of the
internet could be a warning signal for depressive tendencies."
Morrison noted that while the 1.2 percent figure for those classed as
"addicts" was small, it was larger than the incidence of gambling in Britain,
which is around 0.6 percent.
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发表于 2016-7-10 17:42:36