Internet Addiction and Burnout in A Single Hospital: Is There Any Association?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Occupational Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Problematic internet use, or Internet Addiction (IA), is increasingly recognized, particularly among adolescents.
• Burnout may contribute to addictive behaviors, including IA, as a coping mechanism.
• Data on IA and its association with burnout in adult healthcare workers are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Internet Addiction (IA) among hospital healthcare workers.
• To explore the potential association between burnout and IA in this population.
• To identify specific demographic and occupational factors linked to IA in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based survey was administered to healthcare workers in a single hospital setting.
• Data collected included demographics, working conditions, internet usage patterns, burnout levels, and IA screening.
• Multivariate analysis was employed to identify significant risk factors and associations.

Main Results:

• A notable proportion of healthcare workers reported symptoms of IA.
• Key risk factors for IA included younger age (18-25), single marital status, being childless, and working less than five years.
• Excessive daily internet use (>5 hours), being a healthcare-associated worker, illicit drug intake, and diabetes were significantly associated with IA.
• No significant association was found between burnout and IA in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Internet Addiction (IA) affects a small but significant percentage of healthcare workers, with specific identifiable risk factors.
• Substance abuse and diabetes emerged as significant comorbidities associated with IA in this population.
• While this study found no link between burnout and IA, further research is warranted to explore this potential relationship.