Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population.
<h4>Introduction</h4>Smartphones have become a defining feature of the 21st century, fundamentally transforming the way we live and interact. However, the pervasive use and growing dependence on these devices have led to increasing concerns about their impact on mental health. The rise o...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | PLOS Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000779 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850261457364582400 |
|---|---|
| author | Noara Alhusseini Jamil Alghanem Salsabil Haque Samanta Mohammed Shahin Mohammad Alsaeed Wael Kalou Adel Kalou Sara Alnasser Majed Ramadan Khadijah Ateq |
| author_facet | Noara Alhusseini Jamil Alghanem Salsabil Haque Samanta Mohammed Shahin Mohammad Alsaeed Wael Kalou Adel Kalou Sara Alnasser Majed Ramadan Khadijah Ateq |
| author_sort | Noara Alhusseini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Introduction</h4>Smartphones have become a defining feature of the 21st century, fundamentally transforming the way we live and interact. However, the pervasive use and growing dependence on these devices have led to increasing concerns about their impact on mental health. The rise of smartphone addiction, often manifesting as anxiety, irritability, and a feeling of melancholy, has contributed to the rapid increase in nomophobia, a term describing the fear of being without a mobile device. This phenomenon is increasingly linked to psychological distress as our reliance on smartphones continues to deepen.<h4>Aim</h4>This study seeks to determine the prevalence of nomophobia and psychological distress symptoms and their relationship among the adult population of Saudi Arabia.<h4>Method</h4>A cross-sectional survey was done among the adult population of Saudi Arabia, including Saudis and non-Saudis. An online validated survey was distributed via social media channels. SAS 9.4. was used for data analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to display the prevalence, and the chi-square test was used for associations. A p-value <0.05 was used to determine significance.<h4>Result</h4>A total of 704 Saudi and non-Saudi adults completed the questionnaire. The mean nomophobia score among all participants indicated a moderate level at 73.71, while the mean psychological distress score reflected a mild disorder at 22.08. Saudis reported a statistically higher significant mean nomophobia score than non-Saudis (p-value <0.0001). Participants residing in the Eastern region were significantly more prone to nomophobia (p-value 0.0003), and to psychological distress (p-value 0.004).<h4>Conclusion</h4>The study reveals that men and Saudi nationals are particularly affected by nomophobia, likely due to their higher reliance on smartphones. Saudi nationality, educational attainment, and residing in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia are considered predictors for nomophobia and psychological distress. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16adda39afff44bb98d67a0f6a0ccc18 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2767-3170 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-16adda39afff44bb98d67a0f6a0ccc182025-08-20T01:55:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Digital Health2767-31702025-03-0143e000077910.1371/journal.pdig.0000779Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population.Noara AlhusseiniJamil AlghanemSalsabil HaqueSamanta Mohammed ShahinMohammad AlsaeedWael KalouAdel KalouSara AlnasserMajed RamadanKhadijah Ateq<h4>Introduction</h4>Smartphones have become a defining feature of the 21st century, fundamentally transforming the way we live and interact. However, the pervasive use and growing dependence on these devices have led to increasing concerns about their impact on mental health. The rise of smartphone addiction, often manifesting as anxiety, irritability, and a feeling of melancholy, has contributed to the rapid increase in nomophobia, a term describing the fear of being without a mobile device. This phenomenon is increasingly linked to psychological distress as our reliance on smartphones continues to deepen.<h4>Aim</h4>This study seeks to determine the prevalence of nomophobia and psychological distress symptoms and their relationship among the adult population of Saudi Arabia.<h4>Method</h4>A cross-sectional survey was done among the adult population of Saudi Arabia, including Saudis and non-Saudis. An online validated survey was distributed via social media channels. SAS 9.4. was used for data analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to display the prevalence, and the chi-square test was used for associations. A p-value <0.05 was used to determine significance.<h4>Result</h4>A total of 704 Saudi and non-Saudi adults completed the questionnaire. The mean nomophobia score among all participants indicated a moderate level at 73.71, while the mean psychological distress score reflected a mild disorder at 22.08. Saudis reported a statistically higher significant mean nomophobia score than non-Saudis (p-value <0.0001). Participants residing in the Eastern region were significantly more prone to nomophobia (p-value 0.0003), and to psychological distress (p-value 0.004).<h4>Conclusion</h4>The study reveals that men and Saudi nationals are particularly affected by nomophobia, likely due to their higher reliance on smartphones. Saudi nationality, educational attainment, and residing in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia are considered predictors for nomophobia and psychological distress.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000779 |
| spellingShingle | Noara Alhusseini Jamil Alghanem Salsabil Haque Samanta Mohammed Shahin Mohammad Alsaeed Wael Kalou Adel Kalou Sara Alnasser Majed Ramadan Khadijah Ateq Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. PLOS Digital Health |
| title | Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. |
| title_full | Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. |
| title_fullStr | Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. |
| title_short | Nomophobia and Psychological distress among the Saudi Population. |
| title_sort | nomophobia and psychological distress among the saudi population |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000779 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT noaraalhusseini nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT jamilalghanem nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT salsabilhaque nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT samantamohammedshahin nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT mohammadalsaeed nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT waelkalou nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT adelkalou nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT saraalnasser nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT majedramadan nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation AT khadijahateq nomophobiaandpsychologicaldistressamongthesaudipopulation |