Internet/ media use, mental health, tobacco and alcohol: Are there connections?

Introduction: With increasing internet use across all ages, the potential interaction between mental health issues, media and addictions are being explored and debated. While the internet is used for many benign purposes, people are also attracted to it for the anonymity and access that it provides in social relationships, and for engaging in high risk behaviors. This study explores the potential relationships between internet use and affect; loneliness, hope, avoidance, fear, and addiction; alcohol and tobacco use. Methods: Responses were anonymously obtained via a self-administered Internet questionnaire from a random sample of adults (males, n=426; females, n=515) in the Seattle-Tacoma DMA. Respondents reported time spent using media outside of work/school along with mental health and substance use questions. Results: Strong positive correlations were found between reported feelings of loneliness and high internet use in persons who report internet use to reduce loneliness. Internet use to reduce loneliness was negatively correlated with time spent using the internet in those who were married, who were hopeful about the future, and who were older. Total internet use was also positively correlated with high reported worry and tobacco use and negatively correlated with hope. Alcohol use was significantly correlated with total TV viewing. Conclusions: This study lends support to the conclusion that high internet use in the home environment may be related to depressive symptoms, and to a paucity or difficulty in social relationships. These psychosocial factors and the role of addictions need further investigation as practitioners serve ever growing numbers of internet/media consumers.