[Association between adolescent internet addiction and suicidal behaviors].

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between internet addiction and suicidal behaviors in adolescence and to explore whether the association could be partly or fully accounted by depression or/and behaviors related to the impulsivity.

METHODS

A total of 3507 urban adolescent students in Hefei were administered to complete the questionnaire concerning interact addiction disorder (IAD), suicidal behaviors during the 12 months preceding the survey, behaviors related to the impulsivity, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and early childhood adversities, respectively. Hierarchical logistic regressions were used to evaluate the associations and possible roles of depression and behaviors related to the impulsivity between internet addition and suicidal behaviors after adjustment for confounding factors.

RESULTS

Of the 3507 participants, 5.2% were diagnosed as IAD, 27.4% reported suicidal ideation during the 12 months preceding the survey, with another 9.5% had a plan and 2.6% had an attempt. Internet addition was associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 1.79, 95%CI: 1.32 - 2.44), plan (OR = 2.32, 95%CI: 1.57 - 3.42), and attempt (OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.03 - 4.22). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the association between internet addition and attempt was insignificant. When depression and behaviors related to the impulsivity were entered into Hierarchical regression respectively, the associations between internet addition, suicidal ideation and plan were substantially reduced. While internet addition was enter into Hierarchical regression, the associations between depression, behaviors related to the impulsivity, suicidal ideation and plan were not reduced.

CONCLUSION

Adolescent internet addition seems to be associated with suicidal ideation and plan, and the association is possibly mediated by depression and behaviors related to the impulsivity.