Abstract
Background Internet addiction (IA) is a behavioral condition characterized by impaired impulse control. Although it
does not involve substances, it shares features with other behavioral addictions such as pathological gambling. This
study aimed to examine the relationships among emotional intelligence (EI), internet addiction, and psychological
well-being (PWB) among university nursing students.
Methods A descriptive correlational research design was employed with a stratified sample of 335 students from
the Faculty of Nursing at Assiut University. Ethical approval was obtained from the Faculty’s Ethics Committee (IRB
number: 1120250980). Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, the
Internet Addiction Test, and Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale.
Results Students with higher EI scores demonstrated higher mean ranks of IA (mean rank = 173.24) as well as higher
mean ranks of PWB (mean rank = 183.81). Correlation analyses revealed weak but statistically significant associations
among the three variables (r ≈ 0.15–0.29). Specifically, EI was positively correlated with both PWB and IA, while IA was
negatively correlated with PWB.
Conclusion Nursing students demonstrated relatively high EI, moderate levels of IA, and moderate to high well-
being range based on the scale cutoffs. Although the associations between EI, IA, and PWB were statistically
significant, the effect sizes were small, limiting their practical significance. The negative relationship between IA
and PWB is consistent with prior literature, underscoring the potential adverse effects of excessive internet use on
students’ mental health. While integrating EI training into nursing education may be beneficial, the findings should be
interpreted cautiously due to the weak correlations observed.
Clinical trial number Not applicable.
Keywords Emotional intelligence, Internet addiction, Psychological well-being, Nursing students