Day 168 MCAT Practice Question

Passage 8

Cell phones have increased dramatically as a new communication technology in the

modern world. This study aimed to determine the relationship between cell phone

over use scale with depression, anxiety and stress among university students in

Khorramabad, Iran.



In this descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study, 212 students were

randomly selected from the Lorestan University of Medical Sciences by a

combination of stratified and clustered random sampling. Data were collected

by two standard questionnaires including, Cell-phone Over-use Scale (COS) and

Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21) and were analyzed using SPSS V.22.



Based on the results, 72.2% of the students were exclusively male, which a majority

of them were in age of 21–23years (46.2%), and 92.5% were single. Based on the

multiple linear regression and after adjustment for the confounding effect, there

was a significant relationship between cell phone over use scale on student’s

stress (t=2.614, P=0.010), and student’s anxiety (t=2.209, P=0.028); however there

was not a significant relationship between cell phone over use scale on student’s

depression (t=1.790, P=0.075).

Based on the multiple linear regression and after adjustment for the confounding

effect, there was a significant relationship between cell phone over use scale on

student’s stress (t=2.614, P=0.010); so that by increasing in each unit of cell phone

over use score, the student’s stress score increases about 0.040units. In other

words, by increasing in every 25units of cell phone over use score, the student’s

stress score increases about 1 unit.



Also after adjustment for the confounding effect, there was a significant relationship

between cell phone over use scale on student’s anxiety (t=2.209, P=0.028); so that

by increasing in each unit of cell phone over use score, the student’s anxiety score

increases about 0.031units. In other words, by increasing in every 33units of cell

phone over use score, the student’s stress score increases about 1 unit.



Finally after adjustment for the confounding effect, there was not a significant

relationship between cell phone over use scale on student’s depression (t=1.790,

P=0.075); so that by increasing in each unit of cell phone over use score, the

student’s anxiety score increases about 0.028units. In other words, by increasing

in every 36units of cell phone over use score, the student’s stress score increases

about 1 unit.



Harmful use of cell phones can aggravate psychological disorders such as anxiety,

stress and depression and by controlling this factor can increase the level of mental

health and improve the quality of life in students.



Investigate the relationship between cell-phone over-use scale with depression,

anxiety and stress among university students. Adapted from Hashemi et al. (2022)

***Questions 49 and 50 go together***

Suppose the researchers who designed this study performed additional

investigations to determine the correlation between cell phone over use scores

and symptoms of disorganized, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, and delusions with

a decrease in normal, everyday functioning. Which of the following categories of

psychological disorders are they most likely attempting to evaluate?

A) Anxiety disorders

B) Psychotic disorders

C) Trauma-related disorders

D) Depressive disorders