Problematic internet use: Proposed classification and diagnostic criteria

By N. Shapira, M. Lessig, Toby D. Goldsmith, S. Szabo, M. Lazoritz, M. Gold, Dan J Stein. Depression and Anxiety, 2003

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Since the mid‐1990s, there have been frequent reports of individuals whose use of the computer and internet is problematic. Given the recent expansion and the expected increase in internet availability and usage in the coming years, it is important that healthcare professionals be informed about this behavior and its associated problems. Recently, psychological and psychiatric literature has described individuals that exhibit problematic internet use who often suffer from other psychiatric disorders. In the face of this comorbidity, it is essential to evaluate whether these individuals represent a distinct class of disorder, or a manifestation/coping mechanism related to other underlying diagnosis. In either event, problematic internet use negatively impacts social and emotional functioning. Based on the current limited empirical evidence, problematic internet use may best be classified as an impulse control disorder. It is therefore imperative that problematic internet use be appropriately identified among symptomatic individuals. For these reasons, we propose specific diagnostic criteria that will allow for consistent identification and assist in further study of this behavior. Depression and Anxiety 17:207–216, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Education, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b40faf9c04c758f5807b30ea098c6bcdac385459

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Citations in the corpus

Development and Validation of a Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents (2008, background): “Heavy gamers generally show decreased psychological well being (Healy, 1990) and lower satisfaction with daily life (Shapira et al., 2003).”
Problematic Internet and mobile phone use and clinical symptoms in college students: The role of emotional intelligence (2009, background): “Detailed clinical cases have been described not only in the USA (Black et al., 1999; Shapira, Goldsmith, Keck, Khosla, & McElroy, 2000; Shapira et al., 2003; Young, 1996, 1998, 2007), but also in Great Britain (Griffiths, 2000), Italy (Nardone & Cagnoni, 2003), and Spain (Sanz, Carmona, & Marín,…”
Internet Addiction and its Psychosocial Risks (Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Loneliness) among Iranian Adolescents and Young Adults: A Structural Equation Model in a Cross-Sectional Study (2016, background): “Social and behavioral scholars generally concur that IA phenomenon exists and causes unhealthy psychological and social well-being (Shapira et al. 2003; Stavropoulos et al. 2013; Wang and Wang 2011; Yao and Zhong 2014) among users, especially adolescents (Christakis 2010; Smahel et al. 2012).”
The Effects of Boredom, Loneliness, and Distress Tolerance on Problem Internet Use Among University Students (2016, background): “This profile has been termed “problem internet use” (PIU; Shapira et al. 2003; Widyanto and Griffiths 2006; Young 2009), and it shares many similarities with addictive behaviour, while remaining agnostic with regard to causal mechanisms and maintenance.”
Problematic internet and cell-phone use: Psychological, behavioral, and health correlates (2007, background): “However, other authors (p.e. Young 1998, 2004; Shapira et al. 2003; Kaltiala-Heino et al. 2004; Goldsmith and Aspira 2006) consider problematic internet use to best be classified as an impulse-control disorder, similar to pathological gambling; that is, an impulse-control disorder that does not…”
Internet Addiction among Greek University Students: Demographic Associations with the Phenomenon, Using the Greek Version of Young's Internet Addiction Test (2010, background): “(2009) estimate that 9 million Americans could be labelled as pathological Internet users with unpleasant consequences for their social life, their professional status and their psychological condition (Shapira et al., 2000; Shapira et al., 2003; Young, 2004; Walker, 2006).”
Theory and measurement of generalized problematic Internet use: A two-step approach (2010, background): “In one review, Shapira et al. (2003) concluded that, ‘‘based on the current limited empirical evidence, problematic Internet use may best be classified as an impulse control disorder” (p. 207).”
Internet Addiction: Metasynthesis of 1996–2006 Quantitative Research (2009, neutral): “7,14,15 Many researchers, due to the complex nature of the topic, do not provide a clear definition of Internet addiction.”
CBT-IA: The First Treatment Model for Internet Addiction (2011, background): “Researchers have likened Internet addiction to impulse-control disorders on Axis I in (e.g., Aboujaoude et al., 2006; Beard & Wolf, 2001; Block, 2008; Shapira et al., 2003; Young, 1998) and have used various forms of based criteria to define Internet addiction.”
Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World? (2018, background): “Clinicians report that Internet addiction can result in lost opportunities for jobs, education, and career, and in damaged relationships (Beard & Wolf, 2001; Block, 2008; Shapira et al., 2003).”