Evaluating the Relationship between Internet Addiction with Social Interactions Anxiety and Coping Strategies among Shiraz Medical Science University Students in 2018-2019

Considering the increasing use of the Internet, especially among students, the Internet-related consequences require more attention from practitioners. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the relationship between Internet addiction and anxiety symptoms in social interactions and coping styles among medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 1397.

In this descriptive-analytic study, 120 medical students studying at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected. Data were collected using Young's Internet addiction inventory, Blingess and Mouse coping questionnaire, and social interaction anxiety scale (SIAS). Data were collected using SPSS version 21 statistic software package. At the descriptive level, the mean and standard deviation, and at the inferential level, Pearson correlation coefficient were used for analyzing and explaining the data.

Among 120 medical students studied in this research, 43.3% were female and 56.7% were male; 30.8% of them were at basic sciences level, 19.2% at physiopathology, and 50% at clinical. The findings of this study showed that there is a relationship between Internet addiction and anxiety symptoms in social interactions as well as between Internet addiction and stress coping styles. In addition, there was a direct relationship between Internet addiction and anxiety symptoms in social interactions and stress coping styles based on students’ gender and their educational level.

According to the various studies as well as the findings of this study, there is a direct relationship between students’ Internet addiction and anxiety symptoms in social interactions and coping styles. Therefore, in order to reduce the psychological consequences of Internet abuse, basic measures should be taken.