Abstract

Background: Excessive smartphone use is increasingly prevalent among medical students and may adversely affect mental well-being and academic focus.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of smartphone addiction and its association with anxiety and depression levels among MBBS students at Astana Medical University.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 students using the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression. Data were analyzed using correlation and regression models.

Results: 61.3% of students were classified as having moderate to high smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction scores showed significant positive correlations with GAD-7 (r = 0.47) and PHQ-9 (r = 0.52) scores (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: High levels of smartphone addiction are significantly associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Targeted interventions to promote healthy smartphone use among students are recommended.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Medical students, Kazakhstan

Introduction

Smartphones are essential tools in modern life, especially among students. However, excessive and uncontrolled use has been linked to behavioral and psychological disturbances. In medical students, smartphone addiction may contribute to stress, anxiety, and poor academic performance due to constant digital distraction.

Despite growing concerns globally, limited data are available from Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan. This study investigates the prevalence of smartphone addiction and its impact on the mental health of medical students at Astana Medical University.

Methods

Study Design and Participants

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2025 among 150 MBBS students from 1st to 5th year at Astana Medical University. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Instruments

• Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV): A validated 10-item scale to measure smartphone addiction.
  
  

• GAD-7: Measures generalized anxiety symptoms.
  
  

• PHQ-9: Assesses depression severity.
  
  

Statistical Analysis

Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics determined prevalence. Pearson correlation tested relationships between variables. Multiple regression was used to examine the predictive power of smartphone addiction on mental health outcomes.

Results

Out of 150 students (mean age: 20.9 ± 1.7 years, 60% female), 92 students (61.3%) scored in the moderate-to-high smartphone addiction range.

• Mean SAS-SV score: 32.6 ± 6.4
  
  

• Mean GAD-7 score: 7.3 ± 4.2
  
  

• Mean PHQ-9 score: 8.9 ± 4.8
  
  

Smartphone addiction scores showed:

• A moderate positive correlation with GAD-7 (r = 0.47, p < 0.001)
  
  

• A strong positive correlation with PHQ-9 (r = 0.52, p < 0.001)
  
  

Regression analysis indicated that smartphone addiction significantly predicted both anxiety and depression scores (p < 0.01).

Discussion

This study highlights a high prevalence of smartphone addiction among medical students in Kazakhstan, aligning with findings from similar studies in India, China, and the Middle East.

The positive correlations between smartphone use and mental health symptoms suggest that excessive usage may contribute to anxiety and depression. Possible mechanisms include sleep disturbance, decreased physical activity, and social comparison through social media.

Limitations include a self-reported questionnaire-based design and the cross-sectional nature, which restricts causal inference.

Conclusion

Smartphone addiction is highly prevalent among medical students and significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Awareness programs and digital wellness strategies are urgently needed in medical institutions to mitigate these effects.

References

1. Kwon M, Kim DJ, Cho H, Yang S. The smartphone addiction scale: development and validation. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56936.
   
   

2. Elhai JD, Levine JC, Dvorak RD, Hall BJ. Non-social features of smartphone use are most related to depression, anxiety and problematic smartphone use. Comput Hum Behav. 2017;69:75–82.
   
   

3. Samaha M, Hawi NS. Relationships among smartphone addiction, stress, academic performance, and satisfaction with life. Comput Hum Behav. 2016;57:321–325.
   
   

4. Alosaimi FD, Alyahya H, Alshahwan H, Mahyijari NA, Shaik SA. Smartphone addiction among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2016;37(6):675–683.
   
   

5. Demirci K, Akgönül M, Akpinar A. Relationship of smartphone use severity with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students. J Behav Addict. 2015;4(2):85–92.
   
   

6. Panova T, Carbonell X. Is smartphone addiction really an addiction? J Behav Addict. 2018;7(2):252–259.
   
   

7. Choi SW, Kim DJ, Choi JS. Comparison of risk and protective factors associated with smartphone addiction and Internet addiction. J Behav Addict. 2015;4(4):308–314.
   
   

8. Hawi NS, Samaha M. To excel or not to excel: strong evidence on the adverse effect of smartphone addiction on academic performance. Comput Educ. 2016;98:81–89.
   
   

9. Nayak JK. Relationship among smartphone usage, addiction, academic performance and stress. Int J Emerg Technol Learn. 2018;13(3):141–149.
   
   

10. Matar Boumosleh J, Jaalouk D. Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students—A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182239.
    
    

11. Acharya JP, Acharya I, Waghrey D. A study on some of the common health effects of cell-phones among college students. J Community Med Health Educ. 2013;3(4):214.
    
    

12. De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G. Cell-phone addiction: a review. Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:175.
    
    

13. Yen CF, Tang TC, Yen JY, Lin HC, Huang CF, Liu SC. Symptoms of problematic cellular phone use, functional impairment and its association with depression among adolescents in southern Taiwan. J Adolesc. 2009;32(4):863–873.
    
    

14. Roberts JA, Petnji Yaya LH, Manolis C. The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students. J Behav Addict. 2014;3(4):254–265.
    
    

15. Montag C, Walla P. Carpe diem instead of losing your social mind: Beyond digital addiction and why we all suffer from digital overuse. Cogent Psychol. 2016;3(1):1157281.