The Relationship Between Tendency to Computer Games and the Mental Health of Junior High School Students of Shahr-e Kord, Iran

Abstract

Background and aims: Given that computer games have positive and negative functions and may<br />affect the mental health of individuals, the present research aimed to study the relationship between<br />the tendency to playing computer games and the mental health of junior high school students in<br />Shahr-e Kord.<br />Methods: The current cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 245 boy and girl<br />junior high school students of Shahr-e Kord in 2016. The participants were selected using a random<br />cluster sampling method. The required data were collected using questionnaires of demographic<br />variables, the standard 28-item General Health Questionnaire, and an author-made questionnaire on<br />the tendency to computer games. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed using descriptive and<br />analytic tests in SPSS-18. Participation in the study was voluntary.<br />Results: The results showed that 31.8% of the students aged 14 years old. In addition, the tendency<br />to computer games was higher in girls (0.027) and their level of mental health was lower compared<br />to boys (P = 0.032). There was a significant relationship between the tendency to computer games<br />and the age of the students (P = 0.023). Eventually, age (P = 0.025) and gender (P = 0.09) represented a<br />significant relationship with the mental health of the students.<br />Conclusion: Based on the low level of mental health in girls, it is necessary to pay special attention to<br />the symptoms of depression and anxiety and social functions in adolescents, control the time spent on<br />playing the computer games, plan carefully for their leisure time, direct adolescents toward reading<br />books, and promote their health using educational patterns.