Proportion Of Suicidal Ideation Among 13 To 19 Year Olds With Problematic Internet Use In Tejgaon Thana Of Dhaka City

Abstract

Background: Problematic internet use has emerged as a growing behavioral concern among adolescents, often linked with psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation is a significant mental health risk and a leading cause of adolescent mortality. Despite the growing recognition of this issue globally, there remains a lack of research specifically evaluating the connection between suicidal ideation and problematic internet use among adolescents in Dhaka city.

Objectives: To assess the proportion of suicidal ideation among 13 to 19 year olds with problematic internet use in Tejgaon Thana Dhaka city.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from March 2023 to August 2025. 13 to 19 year olds of either sex of Tejgaon Thana of Dhaka city were selected as study population. A total of 157 participants were selected using multistage random sampling technique. Students who had severe medical or psychiatric disorder and who doesn‘t use internet were excluded from the study. Data were collected through the semi-structured questionnaire along with the Bangla validated Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t-test and binary logistic regression done by SPSS version 21. All associations were considered significant if p-value <0.05.

Results: Among the 157 adolescents, 52.2% were identified as having problematic internet use. Suicidal ideation was reported among 36.6% of participants with problematic internet use. A Chi-square test confirmed a statistically significant association between internet use categories (normal user and problematic user) and suicidal ideation (χ² =12.682, p = 0.002). Logistic regression showed that problematic internet use was a strong predictor of suicidal ideation (AOR = 7.729, p = 0.001). Other significantly associated factors were, family type (p = 0.001), presence of mental disorder in the family (p = 0.017), internet use in hours per day (p = 0.035) and duration of internet use (AOR= 0.100, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Suicidal ideation was significantly more prevalent among adolescents with problematic internet use. The findings highlight the need for mental health screening and early intervention strategies in schools to address internet-related psychological risks.

Bangladesh J Medicine 2026; Vol. 37, No. 2(1): pp. 226.