title: Online social networking addiction among college students in Singapore: Comorbidity with behavioral addiction and affective disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the prevalence of addiction to social networking sites/platforms (SNS) and its comorbidity with other behavioral addiction and affective disorder among college students in Singapore. 1110 college students (age: M=21.46, SD=1.80) in Singapore completed measures assessing online social networking, unhealthy food intake and shopping addiction as well as depression, anxiety and mania. Descriptive analyses were conducted to investigate the prevalence and comorbidity of behavioral addiction and affective disorder. Chi-square tests were used to examine gender differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rates of SNS, food and shopping addiction were 29.5%, 4.7% and 9.3% respectively for the total sample. SNS addiction was found to co-occur with food addiction (3%), shopping addiction (5%), and both food and shopping addiction (1%). The comorbidity rates of SNS addiction and affective disorder were 21% for depression, 27.7% for anxiety, and 26.1% for mania. Compared with the total sample, students with SNS addiction reported higher comorbidity rates with other behavioral addiction and affective disorder. In general, females as compared to males reported higher comorbidity rates of SNS addiction and affective disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SNS addiction has a high prevalence rate among college students in Singapore. Students with SNS addiction were vulnerable to experience other behavior addiction as well as affective disorder, especially among females.
authors.affiliation: The National University of Singapore, Department of Psychology, 9 Arts Link, The National University of Singapore, 117570, Singapore. Electronic address: tang.catherine@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Catherine So-Kum
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: The National University of Singapore, AS8 #07-56, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent (S) 119260, Kent Ridge Campus, Singapore. Electronic address: arikyw@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Yvaine Yee Woen
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060756:Social Networking; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Affective disorder; Behavioral addiction; Comorbidity; Social networking addiction