Internet Use Patterns and Their Relationship with Internet Addiction in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and interpersonal difficulties that may influence patterns of internet engagement. Understanding problematic internet-use behaviors may help identify individuals at greater risk of internet addiction. Methods & Materials: To assess internet-use patterns and determine their relationship with internet addiction among patients with BPD. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 82 consecutively selected adults with BPD in the Department of Psychiatry of a hospital in Bangladesh. Sociodemographic characteristics and internet-use patterns were collected through structured face-to-face interviews. Internet addiction was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), with participants categorized by addiction severity. Associations were examined using Pearson's χ² test, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Result: The most common age group was 26-35 years (39.02%), while females comprised 53.66% of participants. Smartphones were the predominant internet-access device (73.17%), and mean daily internet use was 5.18±2.41 hours. Internet use after midnight was reported by 74.39%, while social networking was the most common online activity (36.59%). Moderate addiction was the predominant IAT category (37.80%), followed by mild (29.27%) and severe addiction (18.29%). Daily internet-use duration was significantly associated with addiction status (χ²=17.15, P<0.001) and addiction severity (χ²=31.88, P<0.001). After-midnight use, repeated checking of social media/messages, difficulty controlling internet use, and reduced sleep were also significantly associated with addiction. Conclusion: Prolonged internet use and specific maladaptive usage behaviors were significantly associated with internet addiction and greater addiction severity among patients with BPD. Systematic assessment of internet-use behaviors may support early identification and targeted management of problematic internet use in this population.