British psychologists have said there is a strong link between heavy internet use and depression. The study, reported in the journal Psychopathology, found 1.2 per cent of people surveyed were internet addicts, and many of these were depressed. The conclusions were based on 1,319 responses to an on-line questionnaire. <br/><br/>They were also asked a series of questions to assess whether they suffered from depression. The authors found that a small number of users had developed a compulsive internet habit, replacing real life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. Lead author of the Leeds University team Dr Catriona Morrison said the internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side. <br/><br/>He said the internet addicts were significantly more depressed than the non-addicted group, with a depression score five times higher. The average score of the internet-addicted group put them in the category of moderate-to-severe levels of depression.