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UK Researchers Link Excessive Internet Use to Depression

Surfing the Internet for long periods of time and using social networking sites in place of real-life social interactions can both have a serious effect on mental health, shows a new large-scale study by researchers at Britain's University of Leeds.

Using an online questionnaire, psychologists had individuals age 16 to 51 complete a survey about their Internet use as well as three common depression inventories. Of the 1319 respondents, 18, or 1.2 percent, qualified as Internet addicts.

These individuals tended to be younger adults and women were more likely to qualify than men. Responses showed that individuals who fell into this group spent proportionately more time "browsing sexually gratifying websites, online gaming sites and online communities."

Although researchers are unsure as to which came first--depression or addiction, the correlation was striking. When compared to demographically similar non-addicts, these individuals showed an increased number of depressive symptoms and frequently qualified as moderately to severely depressed.

Although only a small minority of respondents qualified as Internet addicts, researchers note that at 1.2 percent, the prevalence of Internet addiction may be double the rate of gambling addiction in the UK.

To find out whether you or a loved one may be suffering from this condition, read more in our description of Internet Addiction Disorder.