Proposed diagnostic criteria of Internet addiction for adolescents

The association between harmful alcohol use and Internet addiction among college students: comparison of personality

AIMS

This study aimed to (i) evaluate the association between Internet addiction and harmful alcohol use, and (ii) evaluate the associated personality characteristics of Internet addiction as well as harmful alcohol use.

METHODS

A total of 2453 college students were invited to complete the Chen Internet Addiction Scale, Behavior Inhibition System and Behavior Approach System Scale(BIS/BAS scale), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test from May 2005 to May 2006.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated Internet addiction was associated with harmful alcohol use among college students. College students with Internet addiction had higher scores on the BIS and BAS fun-seeking subscales. However, college students with harmful alcohol use had higher scores on the BAS drive and fun-seeking subscales, and lower scores on the BIS subscale.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet addiction is associated with harmful alcohol use. Furthermore, fun seeking was the shared characteristic of these two problem behaviors and might contribute to the association. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the underlying mechanisms accounting for the association between Internet addiction and harmful alcohol use.

The association between Internet addiction and problematic alcohol use in adolescents: the problem behavior model

This study aimed to a) evaluate the association between Internet addiction and problematic alcohol use; b) based on problem behavior theory, explore whether Internet addiction, as well as problematic alcohol use, correlated with the psychosocial proneness of problem behaviors among adolescents. A total of 2,114 high school students (1,204 male and 910 female) were recruited to complete the questionnaire assessing Internet addiction, problematic alcohol use, and associated psychosocial variables. The result revealed that Internet addiction was associated with problematic alcohol use. Besides, the psychosocial proneness of problem behaviors is associated with Internet addiction as well as problematic alcohol use in adolescents. These results suggest Internet addiction might be included in the organization of problem behavior theory, and it is suggested that prevention and intervention can best be carried out when grouped with other problem behaviors.

The multidimensional correlates associated with short nocturnal sleep duration and subjective insomnia among Taiwanese adolescents

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the correlates associated with short nocturnal sleep duration and subjective insomnia, including individual factors, family factors, peer factors, school factors, and the problematic use of high-tech devices among a large-scale representative population of Taiwanese adolescents.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

A total of 23 junior high and 29 senior high/vocational schools were randomly selected across southern Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

Eight thousand four adolescent students.

INTERVENTIONS

N/A.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

The multidimensional correlates associated with short nocturnal sleep duration and subjective insomnia were examined using chi2 automatic interaction detection analysis and logistic regression analysis models. The results indicated that an older age, self-reported depression, being in the third year of school, drinking coffee at night, and problematic Internet use were significantly associated with short nocturnal sleep duration in adolescents. Furthermore, self-reported depression, low school affinity, high family conflict, low connectedness to their peer group, and problematic Internet use were associated with subjective insomnia in adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that a variety of individual, family, peer, and school factors were associated with short nocturnal sleep duration and subjective insomnia in adolescents. Furthermore, the correlates of short sleep duration were not identical to those of subjective insomnia. Parents and health professionals should be wary of sleep patterns among adolescents who have the identified correlates of short nocturnal sleep duration and subjective insomnia.

Computerspiele im Kindes- und Jugendalter unter besonderer Betrachtung von Suchtverhalten, ADHS und Aggressivität

Einleitung: Computerspiele gehören mittlerweile zu den beliebtesten Freizeitbeschäftigungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen und ersetzen in zunehmendem Maß traditionelle Spiel-und Interaktionsaktivitäten. Gesamt betrachtet sind mit dieser Entwicklung nicht nur emotionale oder soziale Entwicklungsrisiken verbunden und im pädagogisch-therapeutischen Bereich können sich mit der Nutzung von Computerspielen auch durchaus Förder- oder sogar therapeutische Möglichkeiten verbinden. Anderseits mehren sich Belege, dass die exzessive Nutzung von Computerspielen mit einem signifikant erhöhten Risiko zu nicht-stoffgebundenem Suchtverhalten einhergeht und die Prävalenzen hierfür altersübergreifend besorgniserregend hoch sind mit tendenzieller Zunahme. Zielsetzung: Der vorliegende Beitrag basiert auf einer Medlinerecherche. Die Zielsetzung besteht darin, zunächst motivationale und entwicklungspsychologische Besonderheiten von Computerspielen herauszuarbeiten, Prävalenzen und Risiken für eine Suchtentwicklung darzustellen und Verbindungen sowie Auswirkungen zu ausgewählten psychischen Störungen, nämlich Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitstörungen und aggressiven Verhaltensweisen darzustellen. Ergebnisse: Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse weisen aus, dass speziell von einer ADHS betroffene Kinder und Jugendliche aufgrund der neuropsychologischen Gegebenheiten dieses Störungsbildes vulnerabel sind für die Entwicklung einer Computerspielsucht. Zum anderen kann der exzessive Konsum gewalthaltiger Computerspiele ein wichtiges Bindeglied für das Zustandekommen vermehrt aggressiver Verhaltensweisen bedeuten bei Vorliegen von bereits vorbestehenden aggressiven Kognitionen und Verhaltensskripten. Schlussfolgerung: Angesichts der zunehmenden klinischen Relevanz von Suchtverhalten bei Computerspielen besteht dringend die Notwendigkeit zur Erarbeitung diagnostischer und therapeutischer Standards, wobei der Vernetzung mit ebenfalls mit der Materie befassten Fach- bzw. Arbeitsbereichen eine wichtige Bedeutung zukommt.

The association between Internet addiction and belief of frustration intolerance: the gender difference

This study evaluated the association between Internet addiction and frustration intolerance, the gender difference of frustration intolerance, and the gender differences of the association between Internet addiction and frustration intolerance. Participants were 2,114 students (1,204 male and 910 female) who were recruited to complete the Chen Internet Addiction Scale and Frustration Discomfort scale. Females had higher scores on the subscale of entitlement and emotional intolerance and the total scale of the frustration intolerance. There was a significant gender difference on the association between Internet addiction and frustration intolerance. The association was higher in male adolescents. Regression analysis revealed male adolescents with Internet addiction had higher intolerance to frustration of entitlement and emotional discomfort, and female adolescents with it had higher intolerance to emotional discomfort and lower tolerance to frustration of achievement. Frustration intolerance should be evaluated for adolescents with Internet addiction, especially for males. Rational emotive behavior therapy focusing on different irrational beliefs should be provided to male and female adolescents with Internet addiction.

Internet addiction and psychiatric symptoms among Korean adolescents

BACKGROUND

The aims of this study were to identify the independent factors associated with intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet and to examine the psychiatric symptoms in Korean adolescents when the demographic and Internet-related factors were controlled.

METHODS

Male and female students (N = 912) in the 7th-12th grades were recruited from 2 junior high schools and 2 academic senior high schools located in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected from November to December 2004 using the Internet-Related Addiction Scale and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision. A total of 851 subjects were analyzed after excluding the subjects who provided incomplete data.

RESULTS

Approximately 30% (n = 258) and 4.3% (n = 37) of subjects showed intermittent Internet addiction and Internet addiction, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that junior high school students and students having a longer period of Internet use were significantly associated with intermittent addiction. In addition, male gender, chatting, and longer Internet use per day were significantly associated with Internet addiction. When the demographic and Internet-related factors were controlled, obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms were found to be independently associated factors for intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff working in junior or senior high schools should pay closer attention to those students who have the risk factors for intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet. Early preventive intervention programs are needed that consider the individual severity level of Internet addiction.

Psychiatric symptoms in adolescents with Internet addiction: Comparison with substance use

AIMS

The aim of the present study was to compare psychiatric symptoms between adolescents with and without Internet addiction, as well as between analogs with and without substance use.

METHODS

A total of 3662 students (2328 male and 1334 female) were recruited for the study. Self-report scales were utilized to assess psychiatric symptoms, Internet addiction, and substance use.

RESULTS

It was found that Internet addiction or substance use in adolescents was associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms. Hostility and depression were associated with Internet addiction and substance use after controlling for other symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This result partially supports the hypothesis that Internet addiction should be included in the organization of problem behavior theory, and it is suggested that prevention and intervention can best be carried out when grouped with other problem behaviors. Moreover, more attention should be devoted to hostile and depressed adolescents in the design of preventive strategies and the related therapeutic interventions for Internet addiction.

Prevalence and Correlates of Excessive Internet Use among Youth in Singapore

Introduction: There has been an explosive growth of Internet usage worldwide and this is expected to continue with its use becoming an integral part of everyday life. The Internet provides tremendous educational benefits; however, excessive Internet use can lead to negative outcomes such as poor school performance and social isolation. Materials and Methods: The survey consisted of a 69-item, anonymous, self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Data collected included demographic data, academic performance, social support and general wellbeing as well as questions pertaining to Internet use. For the purposes of our study, we defined Internet use of more than 5 hours a day as “excessive use”. Results: Of the 2735 adolescents who took part in the study, 1349 (49.3%) were male and 1383 (50.6%) were female. The mean age of the adolescents was 13.9 years [standard deviation (SD), 1.0]. A quarter of the adolescents surveyed (25%) reported that they did not access the Internet everyday, while 17.1% of adolescents reported using it for more than 5 hours every day. Excessive Internet use was associated with (i) no rules of Internet use at home (x2 = 313.1, P <0.001 ), (ii) less likelihood of having confidants (x2 = 15.8, P = 0.003), (iii) feelings of sadness or depression (x2 = 49.6, P <0.001) and (iv) perceived poorer grade/school work (x2 = 226.1, P <0.001). Conclusions: The high figures of excessive Internet use (17.1%) reported in our study is not equivalent to Internet addiction as no diagnostic instruments were used. However, school counsellors and teachers need to be made aware of the prevalence of and problematic behaviours associated with excessive Internet use. Training and resources should also be made available to parents and caregivers so that they can play a greater role in setting boundaries and detecting early warning signs.

Factors predictive for incidence and remission of internet addiction in young adolescents: a prospective study

The aim of the study is to determine the incidence and remission rates for Internet addiction and the associated predictive factors in young adolescents over a 1-year follow-up. This was a prospective, population-based investigation. Five hundred seventeen students (267 male and 250 female) were recruited from three junior high schools in southern Taiwan. The factors examined included gender, personality, mental health, self-esteem, family function, life satisfaction, and Internet activities. The result revealed that the 1-year incidence and remission rates for Internet addiction were 7.5% and 49.5% respectively. High exploratory excitability, low reward dependence, low self-esteem, low family function, and online game playing predicted the emergency of the Internet addiction. Further, low hostility and low interpersonal sensitivity predicted remission of Internet addiction. The factors predictive incidence and remission of Internet addiction identified in this study could be provided for prevention and promoting remission of Internet addiction in adolescents.

Family factors of internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents

The aim of the study is to examine the differences in the diversity of family factors between adolescents with and without Internet addiction and substance use experience. A total of 3662 students (2328 boys and 1334 girls) were recruited from seven junior high schools, six senior high schools, and four vocational high schools in southern Taiwan. Internet addiction and substance experience were classified according to the score of Chen Internet Addiction Scale Questionnaires for Experience of Substance use. The family factors assessed included perceived family satisfaction, family economic status, parents' marriage status, care-givers, the frequency of intra-family conflict, families' habitual alcohol use, and perceived parents' or care givers' attitude toward adolescents' substance use. This study demonstrated that the characteristics of higher parent-adolescent conflict, habitual alcohol use of siblings, perceived parents' positive attitude to adolescent substance use, and lower family function could be used develop a predictive model for Internet addiction in the multiple logistic regression analysis. The former three family factors were also sufficient in themselves to develop a predictive model for substance use experience. The results revealed that adolescent Internet addiction and substance use experience shared similar family factors, which indicate that Internet addiction and substance use should be considered in the group of behavioral problem syndromes. A family-based preventive approach for Internet addiction and substance use should be introduced for adolescents with negative family factors.

Elevated social Internet use and schizotypal personality disorder in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

In the past decade, the use of the Internet as a forum for communication has exponentially increased, and research indicates that excessive use is associated with psychiatric symptoms. The present study examined the rate of Internet use in adolescents with personality disorders, with a focus on schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), which is characterized by marked interpersonal deficits. Because the Internet provides an easily accessible forum for anonymous social interaction and constitutes an environment where communication is less likely to be hampered by interpersonal deficits, it was hypothesized that SPD youth will spend significantly more time engaging in social activities on the Internet than controls.

METHODS

Self-reports of daily Internet use in adolescents with SPD (n=19), a control group with other personality disorders (n=22) and a non-psychiatric control group (n=28) were collected.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed that the SPD participants reported significantly less social interaction with 'real-life' friends, but used the Internet for social interaction significantly more frequently than controls. Chat room participation, cooperative Internet gaming, and to a lesser degree, e-mail use, were positively correlated with ratings of SPD symptom severity and Beck Depression Inventory scores.

DISCUSSION

Findings are discussed in light of the potential benefits and risks associated with Internet use by socially isolated SPD youth.

The comorbid psychiatric symptoms of Internet addiction: attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia, and hostility

PURPOSE

To: (1) determine the association between Internet addiction and depression, self-reported symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, and hostility for adolescents; and (2) evaluate the sex differences of association between Internet addiction and the above-mentioned psychiatric symptoms among adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 2114 students (1204 male and 910 female) were recruited for the study. Internet addiction, symptoms of ADHD, depression, social phobia, and hostility were evaluated by the self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that adolescents with Internet addiction had higher ADHD symptoms, depression, social phobia, and hostility. Higher ADHD symptoms, depression, and hostility are associated with Internet addiction in male adolescents, and only higher ADHD symptoms and depression are associated with Internet addiction in female students.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that Internet addiction is associated with symptoms of ADHD and depressive disorders. However, hostility was associated with Internet addiction only in males. Effective evaluation of, and treatment for ADHD and depressive disorders are required for adolescents with Internet addiction. More attention should be paid to male adolescents with high hostility in intervention of Internet addiction.

Problematic Internet use: clinical implications

Impulse-control disorders have received relatively little attention from the mental health community. An increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of these disorders is emerging. Among impulse-control disorders, problematic Internet use has been considered and examined. Prevalence estimate studies indicate that problematic Internet use is experienced across geographic locations by many individuals of diverse backgrounds. This review examines problematic Internet use from epidemiological and clinical perspectives. Clinicians should be familiar with the extent of problematic Internet use and the data regarding the efficacies and tolerabilities of available treatments.

Tridimensional personality of adolescents with internet addiction and substance use experience

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the differences in personality characteristics between adolescents with and without Internet addiction and substance use experience as defined by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), and to compare personality characteristics among groups of adolescents with both Internet addiction and substance use experience (comorbid group), those with only Internet addition (Internet addiction group), those with only substance use experience (substance experience group), and those without Internet addiction or substance use experience (control group).

METHOD

In the cross-sectional investigation, we recruited 3662 students (2328 boys and 1334 girls) from high schools in southern Taiwan. Our investigation was conducted using the TPQ, the Chen Internet Addiction Scale, and Questionnaires for Experience in Substance Use.

RESULTS

Adolescents with Internet addiction were more likely to have substance use experience. High novelty seeking (NS), high harm avoidance (HA), and low reward dependence (RD) predicted a higher proportion of adolescents with Internet addiction. High NS, low HA, and low RD predicted a higher proportion of adolescents with substance use experience. Of the 4 groups, the Internet addiction group had the highest HA scores and the comorbid group had the lowest HA scores.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents with high NS and low RD should be provided with effective strategies for preventing Internet addiction and substance use. In addition, the Internet addiction group and the comorbid group should be provided with different preventative strategies focused on HA.

The Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire and the Internet Addiction Scale in the assessment of multiple addictions in a high-school population: prevalence and related disability

OBJECTIVE

Taking into account the importance of act prevention on the development of addictions, we assessed the presence of multiple addictions in an adolescent high-school population, also assessing the prevalence of Internet abuse and the impact on disability.

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence seems to be a critical period of addiction vulnerability, based on social but also neurobiological factors. The earlier onset of behavioral/substance dependence seems to predict greater addiction severity, morbidity, and multiple addictive disorders.

METHODS

Data were collected from a sample of 275 students in Florence, Italy, high schools through surveys distributed in classes. The sample had an average age of 16.67+/-1.85 years (52.4% males, 47.6% females). To assess multiple addiction we used the 16 subscales of the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire, to assess Internet addiction prevalence we used the Internet Addiction Scale, and to quantify disability symptoms, we used the Sheehan Disability Scale.

RESULTS

Caffeine abuse, sex, relationship submissive, gambling, food starving, and food bingeing have raised highest scores. 5.4% of the students were found to be Internet addicted similar to other countries. Disability seemed strongly correlated to the subscale of alcohol, gambling, sex, tobacco, food starving and food bingeing, shopping, exercise, and Internet addiction. Gambling, sex, caffeine abuse, compulsive help dominant, work, Internet addiction, relationship dominant, and relationship submissive in this sample were strongly related to substance dependence.

CONCLUSION

Level of concerns unexpected compared to the level reported in other countries for the behavioral compulsions, have been highlighted. Behavioral addictions are multiple, a source of disability, and they are related to substance abuse. It has yet to be clarified if they are a temporary phenomenon occurring in adolescents or if they are a stable trait, accounting as marker for the development of substance abuse.

Screening for Internet addiction: an empirical study on cut-off points for the Chen Internet Addiction Scale

The aim of this study was to establish the optimal cut-off points of the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS), to screen for and diagnose Internet addiction among adolescents in the community by using the well-established diagnostic criteria of Internet addiction. This survey of 454 adolescents used screening (57/58) and diagnostic (63/64) cut-off points of the CIAS, a self-reported instrument, based on the results of systematic diagnostic interviews by psychiatrists. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that CIAS has good diagnostic accuracy (89.6%). The screening cut-off point had high sensitivity (85.6%) and the diagnostic cut-off point had the highest diagnostic accuracy, classifying 87.6% of participants correctly. Accordingly, the screening point of the CIAS could provide a screening function in two-stage diagnosis, and the diagnostic point could serve as a diagnostic criterion in one-stage massive epidemiologic research.