Smartphone addiction in medical students: Association with perceived stress, personality factors and loneliness

Smartphone addiction (SMA) is an emerging concept. It has been associated with high perceived stress. There is a dearth of data on its association with loneliness and personality in the Indian context.

We planned this study to estimate the prevalence of SMA in medical students, verify its reported association with perceived stress, and determine its association with personality factors and loneliness.

Four hundred and two medical students participated in this cross-sectional study. We used the SMA scale-short version to divide students into those having an addiction and not having an addiction. The Perceived Stress Scale, ten-item personality inventory, and University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale were used to assess perceived stress, personality, and loneliness. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals were reported for all comparisons.

The prevalence of SMA in medical students was 34.8%. SMA was associated with higher perceived stress and loneliness. Students having SMA scored lower on personality domains of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Moreover, SMA interfered with students' social life and academic performance.

SMA is a cause for concern. We need to plan the awareness campaigns focusing on SMA and its association with social life and academic performance. Researchers need to explore this concept in larger samples and diverse population groups to know its actual magnitude and impact. Moreover, dedicated psychiatric committees need to recommend the guidelines for the judicious use of smartphones.