Diagnosis and Assessment of Internet Addiction and Comorbidities

Dong Hyun Ahn

doi:10.5124/jkma.2006.49.3.215

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Ahn: Diagnosis and Assessment of Internet Addiction and Comorbidities

Special Issue

Internet Addiction

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2006; 49(3): 215-222.

Published online: 31 March 2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2006.49.3.215

Diagnosis and Assessment of Internet Addiction and Comorbidities

Dong Hyun Ahn, M.D.

Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University College of Medicine & Hospital, Korea. ahndh@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract

From the late 1990s a growing number of children and adolescents are spending considerable time on the Internet, especially on multiplayer role-playing online games. This Internet addiction has become a great concern among Korean children and adolescents. Generally those who devote comparatively long hours to "being online", become socially withdrawn, bullied, depressed, neglected by their parents, or left behind in school. Internet addiction is not an officially accepted condition and consequentially subject to controversy. Some has successfully used Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire of Internet Addiction as operational criteria for internet addiction. Other researchers have used the 20-point Young Internet Addiction Scale in their studies. Despite the debate, most studies agree that close to 30% of Korean adolescents are Internet 'overusers', while 2~5% may be considered internet addicts. These individuals have clear psychopathologies, including anxiety, depression, attention deficit, relationship difficulties, and little family support. In this article a comprehensive stepwise approach is proposed for the evaluation of adolescents with internet addiction or misuse.

Keywords: Internet Addiction, Assessment, Diagnosis, Comorbidity

Figures and Tables

Table 1

IAS=Internet Addiction Scale, YDQ=Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction

IAS^*: normal(<40), overuse(40~69), addicted(≧70)

IAS^**: minimal(20~39), moderate(40~59), excessive(60=100)

IAS^***: problematic(50~79), addicted(≧80)

Table 2

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