Internet addiction is a serious problem among young adults that requires increased attention, especially at a time of distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between internet addiction and selected socio-demographic, study-related, and psychological characteristics of college students. Internet addiction was measured using the Internet Addiction Test both overall and in its individual subscales (Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, Lack of Control, and Neglect Social Life). The selected characteristics represented (1) socio-demographic profile (gender, age, residence, family), (2) academic profile (housing during the semester, form of study), and (3) psychological profile (depressive symptoms-the Patient Health Questionnaire, stress-the Perceived Stress Scale, anxiety symptoms-the Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Data collection took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at Czech and Slovak colleges, with 1,422 students from the Czech Republic and 1,677 students from Slovakia participating in the research. The analytical processes were carried out through descriptive analysis, non-parametric difference analysis, and multiple negative binomial regression. Mild internet addiction was found in 387 (27.2%) Czech and 452 (27.0%) Slovak students. Moderate internet addiction was identified in 49 (3.4%) students from the Czech Republic and in 100 (6.0%) students from Slovakia. Two (0.1%) Czech and three (0.2%) Slovak students reported severe internet addiction. Increased likelihood of internet addiction overall, as well as in most individual subscales, was found particularly among male students and students who lived away from home during the semester. Depressive symptoms and stress could also be considered significant predictors in both countries. These results are important for the development of effective strategies and prevention programs, as Internet addiction may be a serious problem in the future, given the current times. When assessing internet addiction among college students, it would also be appropriate to evaluate the individual internet addiction subscales and their specifics.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiologie   MeSH
• demografie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• návykové chování * epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• netholismus epidemiologie   MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• studenti psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Slovenská republika MeSH

Poor mental health is a growing concern among young people during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the associations of Internet addiction with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress in higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to examine these mental health problems in the context of study-related characteristics. The research sample consisted of 3,099 participants from the Czech Republic (CZ: 1,422) and Slovak Republic (SK: 1,677). The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to measure mental health problems. The analyses also included demographic data (gender and age) and study-related characteristics (form of study, degree of study, field of study, distance between college and home, and housing during the semester). Based on the results of frequency and descriptive analyses, the prevalence of mental health problems was high. The most serious levels of Internet addiction (IAT cut-off point ≥ 50), to which attention should be paid, were found in 3.5% of Czech and 6.2% of Slovak students. Using the standard cut-off point of GAD-7 ≥ 10, 14.1% of Czech and 11.6% of Slovak students were identified with anxiety symptoms. Regarding the PHQ-9 with the cut-off point ≥ 10, 23.4% of Czech and 19.1% of Slovak students had depressive symptoms, which should be addressed. Using the PSS cut-off point ≥ 27, 12.9% of Czech students and 9.1% of Slovak students perceived high stress. The quantile regression analysis showed that Internet addiction was positively associated with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress in all of the analyzed cases (p-value < 0.001). In terms of study-related characteristics, the binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors for mental health problems in Czech and Slovak students were mainly full-time form of study and living away from home during the semester. Internet addiction, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress are issues that require increased attention, and professionals and policy-makers should implement interventions to effectively prevent and help students with psychological problems.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiologie   MeSH
• deprese epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• netholismus epidemiologie   MeSH
• pandemie * MeSH
• psychický stres epidemiologie   MeSH
• studenti psychologie   MeSH
• úzkost epidemiologie   MeSH
• úzkostné poruchy epidemiologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

• MeSH
• hráčství * epidemiologie   klasifikace   komplikace   terapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• netholismus epidemiologie   komplikace   terapie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH

• Klíčová slova
• Evropská školní studie o alkoholu a jiných drogách (ESPAD),
• MeSH
• chování mladistvých * klasifikace   MeSH
• hráčství epidemiologie   MeSH
• kouření cigaret epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• návykové chování MeSH
• netholismus epidemiologie   klasifikace   komplikace   MeSH
• pití nezletilých statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• poruchy spojené s užíváním psychoaktivních látek epidemiologie   MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychotropní léky farmakologie   škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• uživatelé drog klasifikace   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH