Abstract

Background: Internet addiction (IA) has been increasingly recognized as a significant concern affecting the psychological health and academic performance of medical students worldwide, including in Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between IA, psychological distress, and academic performance among medical students in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2021 among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Makkah. The survey captured demographic data, IA, psychological distress, and academic performance. Data were statistically analyzed.

Results: A total of 579 medical students were included in the study; 65.3% had a good grade point average (GPA), 1.6% had severe IA, and 27.8% had probable serious mental illness. There was a significant association between IA and psychological distress (P = 0.001), whereas no significant association was found between IA and students’ GPA (P = 0.143).

Conclusion: The study observed acceptable levels of internet usage and low levels of severe IA. Internet addiction negatively affected students’ psychological well-being but did not influence academic performance.

Key words: Compulsive internet use, distress, internet addiction, academic performance, medical students.