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Academia Open
Clinical Research
DOI: 10.21070/acopen.9.2024.9157
Published: 2024-06-23

Internet Addiction Among Middle Eastern Students Significantly Impacts Mental Health


Kecanduan Internet di Kalangan Pelajar Timur Tengah Berdampak Signifikan pada Kesehatan Mental

Assistant instructor, nursing department , Bilad AlRafidin University collage, 32001,diyala,Iraq
Iraq
Assistant Professor, nursing department , Bilad AlRafidin University collage 32001,diyala,Iraq
Iraq
Assistant Professor ,Department of Nursing, Bilad Alrafidain University College, 32001, Diyala, Iraq Department of Maternal& newborn Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Beni- Suef University, Egypt
Iraq
Assistant instructor, nursing department , Bilad AlRafidin University collage, 32001,diyala,Iraq
Iraq

(*) Corresponding Author

Internet addiction mental health academic performance Middle Eastern students anxiety

Abstract

Excessive internet use leads to problematic Internet usage (PIU), causing psychological, academic, and occupational issues. This study reviews 22 recent studies from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate to assess internet addiction (IA) among Middle Eastern students and its link to anxiety and depression. The findings indicate a high prevalence of IA, significantly correlated with mental health disorders and negatively impacting academic performance. Enhanced assessment tools, a better understanding of IA's causes, and innovative interventions are needed to address this issue and mitigate its negative effects on students' mental health and academic outcomes.

Highlight:

 

  1. High Prevalence: Internet addiction is common among Middle Eastern students.
  2. Mental Health Impact: Significant correlation between internet addiction, anxiety, and depression.
  3. Academic Decline: Internet addiction negatively affects students' academic performance.

 

Keywoard: Internet addiction; mental health; academic performance; Middle Eastern students; anxiety

INTRODUCTION

Many studies worldwide have focused on the topic of internet addiction (IA), which is defined by a number of characteristics that may be detrimental to social, psychological, and functional aspects of life. Furthermore, internet addiction (IA) has arisen as a global health concern, particularly among teenagers and young adults, and incidence of online abuse differs across nations (Mohamed et al., 2023).

Recent empirical research indicates that internet addiction poses a serious risk to an individual's exterior (social, professional, and educational) as well as internal (psychological and emotional) conditions. Anxiety, distress, insomnia, sorrow, anger, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, low self-esteem, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety have all been linked to internet addiction (Babakr et al., 2019).

Five billion people will have used the internet by the end of October 2023, making up 65.7% of population. 6.1 percent of population, or 4.95 billion individuals, used social media. Over 60% of the world's population, or 4.66 billion users, were counted in 2021, marking a huge growth in internet use over the previous little decades. The sum of users climbed by 1331.9% between 2000 and 2021. The benefits of using the Internet, especially for information search and social contact, have led to people depending more and more on this technology for job, education, social engagement, and access to a wide range of entertainment options (Brooks et al., 2020).

Excessive use of technology can cause a problematic Internet usage (PIU), which is defined as Internet misuse that creates psychological, community, academic and job-related problems throughout a person's life. Whereas the term Internet addiction, as created by Young, who was commonly used in the scientific literature, it is characterized as an impulse control disease in which the person uncontrol their usage of the Internet to the extent that they suffer from a various negative consequence. PIU is recommended by a large number of authors as being more appropriate. later it is not classified as an addictive condition in the DSM-5 or ICD-11(Hidalgo-Fuentes et al., 2023; ICD-11, 2023).

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2014), an individual's inability to control their Internet use, persistent obsession, mood swings, depressive symptoms, withdrawal symptoms, and interference with their ability to interact with others, their career, or their education could all be indicators of an Internet addiction in humans. According to Al-Khawaja (2014), students with an Internet addiction typically skip school and perform poorly academically( Al-Shoqran, 2019).

Khalil et al., (2016). Found that the combination of traumatic life events and psychosomatic symptoms can heighten the risk of Internet addiction. Previous studies have also highlighted a link between Internet addiction and mental health issues. Among these, depression is the maximum frequently associated mental disorder with Internet addiction, particularly in adolescents and university students. Additionally, Jie et al. (2014) informed that individuals with Internet addiction notched higher on measures of worrying life events, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms compared to non-addicts. Significant differences were particularly noted in personal problems, issues of school, and anxiety symptoms.

Internet addiction (IA) could be defined as a irrespective of the type of activity performed once logged on, psychological reliance on the Internet exists. subsequently can be identified by an inappropriate pattern of internet use that results in clinical problems and maladaptive situations. a number of terms are used to describe this maladaptive form, such as harmful internet practice, uncontrolled internet use, and internet dependability, and these patterns include concern with internet activities, psychologically dependence, signs of withdrawal, lack to control internet use, poor effect personality traits, and connection with social as well as professional problems. Also, the study showed the link among IA and depression, and it was discovered that both conditions impact and intensify separately. IA has also been linked to anxiety, mood disorders, little self-esteem, and social isolation. The sudden rise in internet use has been linked to an increase in internet addiction (IA), particularly among young individuals, which may be linked to underlying psychological illnesses (Al Shawi et al., 2022; Taha et al., 2022).

Following then, the usage of the Internet for daily tasks grew prevalent throughout the global population. At the beginning of 1995, approximately 16 million individuals, or about four percent of the global population, used the Internet; nevertheless, after twenty-five years, the total amount of users had increased to 4.6 billion, or to 59 percent of the global population. Mohammad (2023). Because of the Internet's value in the fields of education, cultural activities, and information transfer, a considerable portion of the world's population uses it to facilitate their affairs in many sectors of life (Lozano-Blasco et al., 2022)

The study's objectives are to: a) determine the incidence of internet addiction between students in the Middle East; and b) evaluate the impact of internet addiction on mental health by calculating the correlation between IA and anxiety and depression among students who have previously participated in studies over the past ten years, which have gap that there are very few published studies about implement intervention programs and treatment strategies to decrease Internet addiction among students, and very little qualitative aspects of internet addiction.

Nursing, as a profession, is expected to show important role in supporting health and decreasing Internet addiction (IA) and its negative health effects. However, if nursing students themselves suffer from IA, it can hinder their learning and ability to provide effective health services. Individuals with high anxiety frequently try to find recreational activities to alleviate stress, and several turn to the Internet due to the anonymity it offers. Studies have shown strong positive correlations between IA and anxiety, indicating that nursing students with severe IA are also prone to debilitating anxiety. To mitigate the co-occurrence of IA and anxiety, prevent related negative outcomes, and develop effective treatments, it is important to understand the specific symptoms of anxiety and IA that contribute to each issue and their overlap.

However, no studies to date have explored the detailed association between individual symptoms of IA and anxiety among nursing students (Cai et al., 2021).

METHOD

A comprehensive inquiry was carried out by exhaustively scanning the PubMed electronic databases to gather pertinent content. The search query for "internet addiction " yielded 5,321 results, while the inquiry into "mental health disorders" produced 295,834 results. Furthermore, the search for "impact " produced a total of 1,668,286 results. combination yielded a total of 1,174 results relevant findings, ((internet addiction) AND (mental health)) AND (Nursing students)183 articles. "internet addiction", "mental health disorders". A total of 22 articles were manually eliminated the search strategy included a combination of specific terms such as "internet addiction," "mental health disorders," "Iraq students,"

Articles included in the review met the following criteria:

1. Publication: Published within the last five years in a peer-reviewed journal.

2. Language: Written in English.

3. Focus: Specifically investigates the co-occurrence of internet addiction and mental health disorders in Iraqi students’ participants.

4. Data type: Presents original research findings based on empirical data collection.

Articles excluded from the review included:

1. Case reports, reviews, theoretical papers, or animal studies.

2. Studies not directly addressing addiction between internet and mental health disorders.

Data Extraction:

A standardized data extraction form was used to gather key information from each included study. This information included:

1. Study characteristics: Research methodology, sample size, target population.

2. Article Error Assessment tools: Specific instruments used to diagnose and measure internet addiction and disorders of the mental health. Prevalence patterns: internet addiction and mental health disorders in individuals and vice versa.

3. Potential causes: Factors contributing to the co-occurrence of these conditions.

4. Diagnostic and assessment approaches: Strategies used to identify and evaluate impact of internet addiction and mental health disorders: Interventions for managing both internet addiction and mental health disorders concurrently.

5. Effectiveness outcomes: Effects and implications of having both conditions together.

Data Synthesis:

The extracted data were integrated and synthesized using a narrative approach. Results from the included studies were summarized and discussed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape on Data Synthesis: The extracted data were integrated and synthesized using a narrative approach. Results from the included studies were summarized and discussed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape impact of internet addiction and mental health disorders.

Main body:

Alshawi et al.(2021) the topic of a cross-sectional study that conducted in the Anbar Governorate in western Iraq. This study's primary goals were to determine how common internet addiction is among Anbar City's medical students and to determine how it affects mental health by evaluating the students' levels of anxiety and depression using IA. The study employed a self-reported questionnaire that comprised demographic inquiries, the Young Internet Addiction test to evaluate internet addiction in 305 medical students, and the despair Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) to gauge symptoms of anxiety and despair. The findings indicated that there was a statistically nonsignificant relationship among gender and internet addiction, with 44 percent of males reporting a mild addiction to the internet and 50 percent of females reporting a similar level of addiction. Additionally, 25.6 percent of males informed a moderate addiction and 21.3% of females a moderate addiction. 32.9% of schoolchildren with a moderate addiction was depressed contrasted to 6.7% of normal user who had depression, and there was statistically significant link between internet addiction and depression (p < 0.001). The findings showed that 28 percent of students with moderate internet addiction experienced anxiety signs compared to 7.8% of normal users, with a statistically significant link (p < 0.001) between internet addiction and anxiety.

Babakr et al. (2019) Conduct a study in Kurdistan University Students. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of internet addiction among Kurdish university students and its link to self-control. 623 individuals from Nineteen universities, colleges, and schools participated in the survey, with 335 boys (54%) and 288 girls (46%) completing an internet addiction and self-control. The findings revealed that the incidence of online addiction between Kurdish university students is quite high, with 37 percent of participants meeting the internet addiction conditions. It was discovered that males as well as females’ are similarly prone to being addicted to the internet. The findings also revealed that internet addiction has a negative relationship with self-control and a positive relationship with impulsive actions. According to the regression study, self-control can explain 16 percent of the variation in internet addiction.

A study authored by Mohammed .Q. (2023) in Kurdistan A descriptive, cross-sectional about the effect of internet addiction on undergraduate psychology students' academic achievement. The aims of this study were to evaluate Internet addiction among psychology students and how it affects their academic achievement. study containing psychology students was employed at the Psychology branch in university of Gairmian using stratified sample approach for ninety-five participants employing the Kurdish variant of the Kimberly Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT). conclusion revealed that there were no variations in Internet addiction between men and women. Both sexes scored highly on the average scale for Internet addiction, and their scores were equal to the normal, moderate, and severe ranges. The study also revealed that the majority of students who are Internet addicts take two exams during their academic careers rather than one, exposing the effect of the Internet on their academic performance.

A study conducted in UAE (Hidalgo-Fuentes et al., 2023) instructed association linking problematic Internet use (PIU) and psychiatric disorders. Yet, discoveries of PIU in relative to defense processes and coping strategies stay uncommon. This study requested to establish the level of PIU between a sample of college students’ inhabitant in the UAE. The correlation of PIU to depression and low self-esteem and two psychological concepts defense and coping strategies) were investigated. A sample of six hundred ninety-six Emirati contributors aged between 18 and 33 years of age accomplished assessments of PIU, socio-demographic, psycho-pathological, and psychological variables. A total of sixty seven percentage exhibited PIU. Problematic users produced higher levels of immature, disordered, and autistic fantasy defenses, as well as maladaptive coping mechanisms. The results of regression analysis showed that PIU was positively and negatively correlated with maladaptive coping, and negatively correlated with adult, immature, and autistic fantasy defenses. When the analyses were performed again on gender-graded samples, these were different. The preliminary prevalence estimate indicates that PIU could be a significant problem in this part of the realm, thus more research is needed to look at the mental health risk factors associated with PIU, especially their causative connections.

A study conducted in in Al-Nasiriya Iraq. The study objectives to assess internet addiction and mental adjustment amongst secondary school students, as well as to ascertain the relationship between online addiction and psychosocial adjustment among secondary school students, a descriptive design research was conducted.300 students made up the non-probability (convenience) sample, and information was gathered by the self-reported approach and a questionnaire. The two sections of the questionnaire asked on the students' socioeconomic status (age, sex, grade, parents' educational attainment, place of residence, and monthly income). According to the study's findings, girls were more affected than boys by moderate internet addiction, which affected the majority of pupils. The results of the Chi-S Tests indicate that there are significant differences (P <0.05) between the secondary school students' psychosocial adjustment scale and the internet addiction scale. These findings point to the need for parental supervision and limited Internet use by teenagers (Al-Hillaly and Hussein, 2021).

A study conducted by Jamil et al. (2019) in Baghdad city about Internet Addiction (IA) between medical students, as well as its association with mental suffering, can have an impact on their academic success and long-term professional goals. IA would likewise have a subtle influence on the public of health care providers and the population. To determine the prevalence and stages of internet addiction (IA) for students using the Internet addiction test (IAT). In addition to determining the impact of gender and academic year on the chance of developing IA. A cross-sectional study was conducted between medical students at Al- Mustansiriyah University in Iraq. The data was gathered by a direct interview questionnaire, and the IA Test (IAT) was used to measure IA. The whole number of students join up in the research was 418. The proportion of IA in the study sample was (81.8%), with 55% meeting the criteria for mildly IA. Both genders have roughly identical rate of IA (81.5% and 82%). Third grade kids had the main percentage of IA and the most severe rate of addiction (92.3% and 5.9%, respectively). The primary reason for internet use (42.8%) was social media browsing. The margin of students (90%) used mobile phones to access the Internet.98.32% of the pupils participating in the research had an account with Facebook, and 72% spent over three hours every day on the internet. Internet addiction has enhanced a widespread issue among medical students. Students should be guided about the dangers of internet addiction.

A descriptive design study conducted by Tariq Al-Noimi (2021) at Mosul City obtained to investigate the extent of internet usage, sleep problems, and hostile behavior among pupils by gender. To explore the level to which pupils display withdrawal symptoms centered on their gender, and to estimate the intensity to which students demonstrate aggressive behavior rely on their gender. carried out March 2021. The research contributors were one hundred pupils from Nineveh Secondary Schools under the Education Directorate. with ages ranging from 13 to 17. In order to meet the goals of the current study, data collecting took place between January 20 and February 1, 2021. The “Aggressive Behavior Scale, Internet Addiction Test, and Social Withdrawal Scale” are produced for use in student interviews in order to meet the study's objectives. Ten experts in various fields linked to the current study were selected, and their reviews were used to determine the validity of the scale. End Results: showed that the common of students—both gender—had minor Internet use, and the majority of those with identical gender distributions had mild sleep difficulties. Females have the most proportion and frequency of excessive aggressive conduct, whereas males have the greatest percentage and occurrence of offensive aggressive behavior. Male and female students showed equal moderate withdrawal symptoms, but males had more than females.

Research was carried out in Erbil, Iraq particularly to provide a demographic perspective on the attitudes of aspiring foreign language instructors on internet addiction. The study group comprised 140 aspiring foreign language teachers enrolled at Tishk International University Faculty of Education's ELT program. To find out what potential instructors thought about internet addiction, the researchers developed a semi-structured interview form as a data gathering method. The researcher captured the data both orally and in writing. The collected data was analyzed using the content analysis approach, which is used to examine qualitative research. The study's findings indicate that the majority of prospective foreign language teachers utilize the internet for both learning and leisure. Furthermore, individuals that attempt to complete all of their work online and those who use many digital communication platforms and entertainment apps to keep themselves online for longer than 9 to 14 hours a week should be classified as internet addicts. Additionally, based on the remaining findings, it was determined that male candidates for foreign language teaching had greater knowledge than female candidates on internet addiction. It was discovered that male teacher candidates have a higher level of internet addiction compared to their female counterparts (Mart, 2020).

A cross-sectional research done in Baghdad by AL-Zwaini (2021). The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of internet addiction with Al-Kindy medical students, as well as any relevant risk factors, and the effect of these factors on the students' academic achievement. Based on Dr. Young's questionnaire, an estimated sample size of 306 students was determined. Online questionnaires created using Google Forms and self-administration employing quota-sampling strategies were used to collect the data. The analysis was conducted using SPSS 25. Results: Sixty-eight percent of this group reported having an online addiction. Numerous inconsequential factors were present, such as age, gender, smoking, parents' educational background, number of family members, and usage of mobile internet. Additionally, a significant connection was found between internet addiction and using the internet for social media, gaming, entertainment, and shopping (P-values of.000,.000,.044, and.038, respectively), even though there was no significant link between the phases. The results from the previous stage showed a negative connection (P-value<.006) between internet addiction and grades (AL-Zwaini, 2021).

A study conducted in Egypt using self- report questionnaire was distributed to 808 Egyptian university pharmacy students transversely the nation. The Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 21) were among the surveys used. Because pharmacy students will make up the majority of healthcare professionals in the future, internet addiction (IA) is becoming a increasing concern due to the extensive usage of the internet for a number of purposes. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of internet addiction between pharmacy students and the issues that lead to it. It also sought to determine the correlations between internet addiction and common psychological disorders (stress, anxiety, and depression), academic performance, and factors related to weight. The findings showed that the incidence rate of probable IA was 311 (38.5%) and the standard YIAT score was 44.75 (19.72%), without distinction based on gender. Thus, no proof of a connection between likely IA and GPA was discovered. Nonetheless, a hardy relationship was seen between internet addiction and overall feelings of melancholy, worry, and tension(Sayed et al., 2022).

A cross-sectional study conducted in five nursing collages in China. Total of one thousand and seventy nursing students take part in the study by used the IA Test (IAT) and the GAD. The results presented that IAT nodes, “Educational deterioration caused by Internet use, Depressed,moody,nervous simply though being disconnected, “School marks suffer due to Internet use,” and Others criticize about time expended online were the most significant indicators in the IA-anxiety network model (Cai et al., 2021).

A cross-sectional study amongst medical students in Sudan regardless of their academic standing. The goal of study was to determine how common internet addiction is, what risk factors are involved, and how it affects undergraduate medical students in terms of mental health. Methods: A systematic sampling strategy was used. Socioeconomic information was gathered via an online structured questionnaire that also contained the 10-item Kessler questionnaire to measure mental distress and the 20-item Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to determine the existence and seriousness of IA. A chi-square test was also used to evaluate the relationship between various characteristics and internet addiction. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value of less than 0.05. Ultimately, 307 medical students took part in this research. 63.8 percent of them were female. 75.6% of the sample (n = 232) had internet addiction. The following describes the level of addiction: 39.7% of addicts were classified as mild, 33.2% as moderate, and 2.6% as severe. With the chi-square analysis, those between the ages of 18 and 22 had a considerably greater frequency of internet addiction (78.4%) than those under the age of 18 (57.7%) (P < 0.044). The association between internet addiction and psychological distress was shown to be very statistically significant (P < 0.00) (Mohamed et al., 2023)

A cross-sectional study was carried out at Qassim University's College of Medicine in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, spanning December 2017 and April 2018. Using straightforward random methods, 216 medical students in the first, second, and third years of their studies were given the pre-existing Internet Addiction Test questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to determine if Internet use and addiction, as well as gender, academic success, and health, were significantly correlated. According to the survey's results, 209 students (or 96.8% of the sample) completed it; men made up the great majority of respondents (57.9%). 12.4% of people were Internet addicts overall, and 57.9% were at risk of developing an addiction. Females applied the Internet frequently more than males. Educational achievement was negatively impacted in 63 percent of students, and 72 percent lost sleep as a outcome of late-night Internet use, concerning attendance at morning events. When they were not online, the greater part 60 percent reported feeling depressive, moody, or nervous (Younes et al., 2016).

RESULT AND DISCCUSSION

Comparable to a study conducted in Kurdistan by Mohammed Q. (2023), Alshawi et al. (2021) found that 44.4 percent of males and 49.5 percent of females, respectively, had mild internet addictions. Additionally, there was a statistically nonsignificant correlation among gender and internet addiction. consequence of the study presented that there were no variances between the males and females in Internet addiction, the results displayed that both males and females contracted elevated scores from the total level of Internet addiction. While a study conducted by Babakr et al. (2019) with 335 boys (54%) and 288 girls (46%) completing an internet addiction and self-control. The findings revealed that the occurrence of online addiction between Kurdish university students is quite high, with 36.5 percent of contributors meeting the IA criteria. It was discovered that males as well as females, men and women are equally prone to being addicted to the internet. Otherwise A study conducted by Jamil et al. (2019) in Baghdad city about (IA) among medical students, as well as its association with emotional suffering, can have an influence on their academic success and long-term professional goals.The data was gathered by a direct interview form, and the IA Test (IAT) was used to measure IA. The whole sum of students joined in the study was 418. The proportion of IA in the study sample was (81.8%), with 55% meeting the criteria for mildly IA. Both genders had roughly identical rate of IA (81.5 percent and 82 pe

rcent).

Babakr et al. (2019) Conduct a study in Kurdistan University Students. The outcomes revealed that the occurrence of online addiction between Kurdish university students is quite high, with 36.5 percent of participants meeting the internet addiction standards. The findings also revealed that internet addiction has a negative relationship with self-control and a positive relationship with impulsive actions. Unsimilar to A cross-sectional study conducted in Baghdad by AL-Zwaini (2021) based on Dr. Young's questionnaire. The data was gathered using Google Forms online surveys and self-administration with quota-sampling techniques. SPSS 25 was used for the analysis. The Findings showed sample had a high frequency of internet addiction (68%). While a study conducted by Alshawi et al. (2021) conduct a cross sectional study in Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The results showed that 44.4 percentage of males had mild addiction of internet, but 49.5 percentage females had mild addiction, 25.6 percentage of males reported moderate addiction and 21.3% of females had moderate addiction. Otherwise A study authored by Mohammed .Q. (2023) in Kurdistan A descriptive, cross-sectional about Internet addiction amongst psychology undergraduate students and its influence on their educational achievement. The results displayed that both males and females contracted elevated scores from the average Internet addiction level, (normal, moderate, and severe) for IA.

Regretfully, not much research has been done on Iraqi students to examine how internet addiction affects psychological status. Alshawi et al.(2021) conduct a cross sectional research, conducted in the Anbar Governorate in western Iraq. The findings revealed a statistically significant correlation between gender and internet addiction, with 44.4 percent of men reporting a mild addiction to the internet and 49.5 percent of women reporting a parallel problem. 25.6 percent of men and 21.3% of women reported a moderate addiction. There was a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) between internet addiction and depression, with 32.9% of students with a moderate addiction and 6.7% of typical users reporting depression. The results showed that 28% of students with moderate online addiction reported warning sign of anxiety compared to 7.8% of normal students, with a similar finding of statistically significant link between internet addiction and anxiety. Another study was carried out in Kurdistan by Babakr et al. (2019). The outcomes also showed that there is a positive correlation between impulsive behavior and internet addiction and a negative correlation with self-control. The worsening analysis indicates that self-control accounts for 15.7% of the variation in internet addiction. Furthermore Mohammed.Q. (2023) conducted research in Kurdistan A descriptive, cross-sectional regarding Internet addiction amongst psychology undergraduate students and its impact on their educational achievement. The findings revealed the impact of the Internet on students' academic performance, with the majority of Internet-dependent students choosing to take two exams over their academic careers rather than just one. A study conducted in UAE (Hidalgo-Fuentes et al., 2023) instructed relationship between problematic Internet use (PIU) and psychiatric disorders. The results of regression analysis showed that PIU was positively and negatively correlated with maladaptive coping, and negatively correlated with adult, immature, and autistic fantasy defenses. When the analyses were performed again on gender-stratified samples, these were different. The preliminary prevalence estimate indicates that PIU could be a significant problem in this part of the world, thus more research is needed to look at the mental health risk factors associated with PIU, especially their causative connections. Ather A cross-sectional study was carried out at Qassim University's College of Medicine in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, Educational achievement was negatively impacted in 63% of students, and 72% decrease sleep as a result of prolong night-time- Internet use, affecting attendance at morning events. When they were not online, the majority (59.7%) reported feeling depressed, unstable, or nervous (Younes et al., 2016). Also A cross-sectional research study carried out in Lebanese. The findings revealed that 66 of 134 males 49.3% and 143 of 327 females 43.7% were addicted to smartphones. Smartphone addiction related to increased boredom (P <.001), anxiety (P <.012), and loneliness (P <.025). Anxiety facilitated the relationship between boredom proclivity and smartphone addiction, as well as loneliness and smartphone addiction, although despair and stress did not.(Malaeb et al., 2022)

CONCLUSION

1. Both male and female students used the Internet in moderation. The majority of students, both male and female, experienced mild sleep problems. Excessive aggressive behavior is the most common with children.

2. Help students articulate their difficulties, understand their drives for their conduct, and encourage them to continue interacting with their communities. Addition of treatment for students who use the internet excessively across all spectrums (psychiatric, health, social, and educational).

3. The study's findings showed that Iraqi students as general had a significant prevalence of internet addiction. The results of this study demonstrated a negative association between IA and students' academic performance.

4. According to these studies. addiction to the internet has a significant negative influence on psychological health and is quite prevalent among students. Thus, in order to educate students about limiting extreme internet usage and reducing its negative effects on psychological status,

Gaps in this review article are:

a. There no intervention strategies in Iraq and Kurdistan Region: about internet addiction

b. A lot of systematic article review were done in developed country only nether Iraq nor Middle East were had an efforts about internet addiction in relation to mental health problems.

Future direction:

1. The report suggests conducting additional research especially in qualitative research to understand IA phenomena among Iraqi students.

2. Further research about treatment strategies to decrease the prevalence among students should be conducted to evaluate the influence of internet addiction on mental health disorders or with academic performance.

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