The effect of psychoeducational intervention on nomophobia among university students in the north-eastern region of India: A quasi-experimental study
Jayashree Rout, N Siva, Ritarani Nayak, Pravati Tripathy, Sasmita Das, Tapati SahaBACKGROUND:
Nomophobia, the irrational fear of being without a mobile phone or internet connection, is increasingly common among undergraduate students, contributing to psychological distress and impaired academic performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention in reducing nomophobia levels in this population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was employed with 217 undergraduate students. Nomophobia levels were assessed using a validated scale. The intervention, delivered in multiple sessions, focused on raising awareness about mobile dependency, its psychological effects, and coping strategies. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
RESULTS:
Participants were aged 17–25 years (mean 21 ± 2.4). Instagram was the most frequently used app (46.5%). Before the intervention, 60.1% had moderate and 27.1% had severe nomophobia. Post-intervention, the overall prevalence of nomophobia decreased by 16.6%, with reductions of 5% in moderate cases, 8.8% in severe cases, and 2.8% in mild cases. Statistical analysis showed a mean negative rank of 76.74, a mean positive rank of 114.2, and a mean difference of 37.46 (
CONCLUSION:
The psychoeducational intervention effectively reduced nomophobia among undergraduate students. Nurse-led programs in community and hospital settings could help raise awareness and equip students with coping strategies for mobile dependency. Future studies should evaluate the long-term sustainability of these interventions and their applicability across diverse populations.