Clinical psychology of Internet addiction: a review of its conceptualization, prevalence, neuronal processes, and implications for treatment

By Halley M. Pontes, Daria J. Kuss, Mark D. Griffiths. 2015

219 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Research into Internet addiction (IA) has grown rapidly over the last decade. The topic has generated a great deal of debate, particularly in relation to how IA can be defined conceptually as well as the many methodological limitations. The present review aims to further elaborate and clarify issues that are relevant to IA research in a number of areas including: definition and characterization, incidence and prevalence rates, associated neuronal processes, and implications for treatment, prevention, and patient-specific considerations. It is concluded that there is no consensual definition for IA. Prevalence rates among nationally representative samples across several countries vary greatly (from 1% to 18.7%), most likely reflecting the lack of methodological consistency and conceptual rigor of the studies. The overlaps between IA and other more traditional substance-based addictions and the possible neural substrates implicated in IA are also highlighted. In terms of treatment and prevention, both psychological and pharmacological treatments are examined in light of existing evidence alongside particular aspects inherent to the patient perspective. Based on the evidence analyzed, it is concluded that IA may pose a serious health hazard to a minority of people.

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Education, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ed0223f738abed12ec500dca94f978cedcd2facc

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Citations in the corpus

Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders: An Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model. (2016, unknown): “…epidemiological factors of an addicive use of the Internet, its prevalence in different countries as well s its comorbidities and personality correlates (see recent reviews y Cash et al., 2012; Kuss and Lopez-Fernandez, 2016; Pezoa-Jares t al., 2012; Pontes et al., 2015; Spada, 2014; Suissa, 2015).”
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): “…University, Mashhad, Iran 5 International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK Easy access to the Internet has led to an increase in the number of studies investigating the incidence and prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) (Pontes et al. 2015).”