The Role of Internet Addiction in Mental Health and Body Image

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MA in Personality Psychology, Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch .

2 Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology, Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch.

Abstract

Introduction: The personality traits of individuals addicted to the Internet are noteworthy due to their significant prevalence. Consequently, this research was conducted to investigate the impact of Internet addiction on mental health and body image.
Method: The research method used was a correlational study. The study involved 323 students (244 women, 79 men) from Islamic Azad University, South Tehran branch. The sampling method was based on fingerprinting, with each group consisting of one hundred people. The students were required to complete the Internet Addiction Test (Yang, 1998), the Mental Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972), and the Body-Self Multidimensional Questionnaire (Cash, 1990). Data analysis was conducted using analysis of covariance and the M-Box test. The data were analyzed using the latest version of SPSS.
Results: The results showed that Internet addiction plays a role in reducing mental health (P < 0.01) and body image disorder (P < 0.07).
Discussion and Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, psychologists and therapists can enhance mental health and prevent body image issues in teenagers and young adults by reducing Internet usage.

Keywords


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