Abstract
Background: Smartphone-addiction shatters neuro-physiological harmony. This study aimed to associate smartphone-addiction with indices of psychiatric health and academic performance. Methods: Study population was segregated into smartphone non-addict (SNA) and smartphone-addict (SA) groups on basis of Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), with an equal representation of males (SAS-SV?31 for SNAs and >31 for SAs) and females (SAS-SV?33 for SNAs and >33 for SAs). Degree of depression, anxiety and stress was assessed using Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) while latest annual academic score (AS) was considered as an indicator of academic performance. Results: Collective prevalence of mental unrest was found to be 18.45% within SNAs and 75.0% in SAs. Intensity of depression, anxiety and stress within smartphone non-addict males (SNAMs) and smartphone non-addict females (SNAFs) was significantly lower than their SA counterparts [(p=0.00, p=0.01), (p=0.00, p=0.00) and (p=0.01, p=0.00) respectively] while smartphone addict females (SAFs) harboured significantly higher degree of anxiety (p=0.02) as compared to smartphone addict males (SAMs). Within SAMs and SAFs, degree of smartphone addiction showed positive correlation with depression (rho=0.46, p=0.00 and rho=0.37, p=0.02), anxiety (rho=0.71, p=0.00 and rho=0.40, p=0.01) and stress (rho=0.69, p=0.00 and rho=0.77, p=0.00) while negative with AS (rho= -0.83, p=0.00 and rho= -0.73, p=0.00). SAMs and SAFs showed independent negative correlation of their AS with depression, anxiety and stress too [(rho= -0.49, p=0.00 and rho= -0.48, p=0.00), (rho= -0.76, p=0.00 and rho=-0.48, p=0.00) and (rho= -0.71, p=0.00 and rho= -0.89, p=0.00) respectively]. Conclusion: Smartphone addiction establishes psycho-psychiatric upheaval.
Pak J Physiol 2024;20(3):13?7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v20i3.1543