Internet Addiction on Mental Health

The idea that problematic computer use meets criteria for an addiction, and therefore should be included in the next iteration of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Text Revision was first proposed by Kimberly Young, PhD in her seminal 1996 paper. Since that time IAD has been extensively studied and is indeed, currently under consideration for inclusion in the DSM-V. Meanwhile, both China and South Korea have identified Internet addiction as a significant public health threat and both countries support education, research and treatment. In the United States, despite a growing body of research, and treatment for the disorder available in out-patient and in-patient settings, there has been no formal governmental response to the issue of Internet addiction. While the debate goes on about whether or not the DSM-V should designate Internet addiction a mental disorder people currently suffering from Internet addiction are seeking treatment. Because of our experience we support the development of uniform diagnostic criteria and the inclusion of IAD in the DSM-V in order to advance public education, diagnosis and treatment of this important disorder.

The first serious proposal for diagnostic criteria was advanced in 1996 by Dr. Young, modifying the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. Since then variations in both name and criteria have been put forward to capture the problem, which is now most popularly known as Internet Addiction Disorder. Problematic Internet Use (PIU), computer addiction, Internet dependence, compulsive Internet use, pathological Internet use, and many other labels can be found in the literature. Likewise a variety of often overlapping criteria have been proposed and studied, some of which have been validated. However, empirical studies provide an inconsistent set of criteria to define Internet addiction. For an overview see Byun et al.

Many researchers and clinicians have noted that a variety of mental disorders co-occur with IAD. There is debate about which came first, the addiction or the co-occurring disorder. The study by Dong et al. had at least the potential to clarify this question, reporting that higher scores for depression, anxiety, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychoticism were consequences of IAD. But due to the limitations of the study further research is necessary.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centered yet directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving client ambivalence. It was developed to help individuals give up addictive behaviors and learn new behavioral skills, using techniques such as open-ended questions, reflective listening, affirmation, and summarization to help individuals express their concerns about change. Unfortunately, there are currently no studies addressing the efficacy of MI in treating IAD, but MI seems to be moderately effective in the areas of alcohol, drug addiction, and diet/exercise problems.

Suggest that interventions with family members or other relatives like “Community Reinforcement and Family Training” could be useful in enhancing the motivation of an addict to cut back on Internet use, although the reviewers remark that control studies with relatives do not exist to date.

Manuscripts can be submitted to Editor-in-Chief through dualdiagnosis@emedsci.com

Regards,
Nancy Ella
Dual Diagnosis: Open Access
Email: dualdiagnosis@emedsci.com
WhatsApp no: +1-947-333-4405