title: The relationship of Internet addiction severity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in Turkish University students; impact of personality traits, depression and anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of Internet addiction (IA) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms while controlling the effect of personality traits, depression and anxiety symptoms in Turkish university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 271 university students participated in the present study. The students were assessed through the Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), the Wender Utah Rating Short Scale (WURS-25), the Turkish version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised Abbreviated Form (EPQR-A), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to IAS, participants were separated into three groups, namely, moderate/high, mild and without IA groups. The rates of groups were 19.9% (n=54), 38.7% (n=105) and 41.3% (n=112), respectively. Correlation analyses revealed that the severity of IAS is positively correlated with WURS-25, ASRS (total, inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity subscales), neuroticism personality trait, depression and anxiety scores, whereas it is negatively correlated with extraversion personality trait. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that depression and anxiety symptoms, introversion and neuroticism personality traits and the severity of ADHD symptoms (particularly hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms) are the predictors for IAS score, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of ADHD symptoms has predicted the severity of IA even after controlling the effect of personality traits, depression and anxiety symptoms among Turkish university students. University students with severe ADHD symptoms, particularly hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms may be considered as a risk group for IA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: edalbudak@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dalbudak
authors.affiliation: Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Alcohol and Drug Research, Treatment and Training Center (AMATEM), Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cuneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evren
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014421:Turkey; D014495:Universities