Evaluation of College Students'the Level of Addiction to Cellular Phone and Investigation on the Relationsship Between the Addiction and the Level of Depression

The study is a cross sectional study carried out on Osmangazi University Health High School students between 1st November and 31st December 2012. The study group consists of 700 students (%84.2). Problematic Cellular Phone Use Scale has been used for the evaluation of addiction to cellular phone and for the evaluation of the level of depression Beck Depression-Scale has been used. In the analysis of data, Ki-Sguare-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman Correlation Analysis have been used. p<0.05 has been agreed as the value of statistical sifnificance. 579 (%82.7) people in the study -group are female and 121 (%17.3) people in it are male. The average of their age is 20.14 +/- 1.76 years (min:17, max:26). It has been established that the students in the type of A at the department of midwifery have much more addiction to the cellular phone (p<0.05 for each one). As the time of daily cellular phone use has increased, the level of addiction has increased. Also, it has been established that there is a negative correlation between addiction to cellular phone and academic-success and also a positive correlation between addiction to cellular phone and the level of depression. (p<0.05 for each one). Calling family members (%29.5) and sending text messages (%24.0) are the primary reasons to use cellular phone. Addiction to cellular phone among College students is a serious health-problem. The more the addiction has increased the more academic-success has decreased and intensity of depression has increased. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.