Resilience as a protective factor for Problematic Internet Use among university students with disability

Background: Problematic Internet use (PIU) has become an issue of social concern. However, this problem has been scarcely studied in people with disabilities, a vulnerable group subject to multiple limitations in daily activities or participatory restrictions associated with physical, psychological, social or long-term health problems (Bascones et al., 2021; McConnell et al., 2016). Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt to the demands of the situation, responding quickly and with more flexibility to a given situation, is a desirable characteristic of individuals that could protect them against the problems cited above. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between resilience and PIU. 

Methods: An ex post facto prospective cross-sectional design was used in which 432 Spanish university students with disability (not intellectual) were surveyed using NEO-FFI (the short version of Costa y McCrae Big Five questionnaire) and IAT-12, a short version of Young Internet Addiction Test validated in Spanish University Student with disability. A total of 45.6% were men and 54.4% were women. Ages ranged from 17 to 78 years, with a mean of 41.90 (SD=13.77). 

Results: As defined by Asendorpf (2001), “Resilient” group were formed by people who presented low neuroticism and over mean scores in the other traits of personality (Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Consciousness). A second group of low resilience was formed with the opposite pattern (high N and low EAOC). 

None of resilient university student with disability presented PIU. However, a total of 14,3% of the low resilience group presented PIU.

Conclusions: Resilience could be considered a protective factor against PIU. Similarly, the opposite pattern (low resilience or frailty) would be considered an important risk factor for PIU. These results may have application in the prevention of PIU by facilitating the identification of individuals at risk. They may also help in treatment, allowing us to design interventions according to the difficulties inherent in these personality patterns.