Preventing harmful Internet use-related addiction problems in Europe: a literature review and policy options

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Lopez-Fernandez, O and Kuss, DJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8917-782X, 2020. Preventing harmful Internet use-related addiction problems in Europe: a literature review and policy options. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (11): 3797. ISSN 1660-4601

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113797

Abstract

Internet use-related addiction problems are increasingly being recognized on a European scale due to international health organizations considering gaming addiction. In April 2013, the American Psychiatric Association recognized Internet Gaming Disorder in the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and in April 2018, the World Health Organization included Gaming Disorder in the eleventh International Classification of Diseases. However, findings on these problems within this period are lacking in Europe, and a preventive approach is missing globally. A detailed critical literature review was conducted using PsycINFO and Web of Science in this five-year period. A total of 19 studies were reviewed and problems identified were: generalized Internet addiction and online gaming and gambling addictions across seven European countries (i.e., Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, and Denmark). The individuals with problematic use were found to be educated adolescents, usually young males with comorbid disorders, and gaming and gambling disorders were implicated in the most severe cases. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the main treatment, sometimes combined with a systemic approach for adolescents. Prevalence, high-risk populations, and factors contributing to these addiction problems are discussed, and a set of policy options are developed for this region. The implications for early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in Europe are considered.

Item Type:	Journal article
Description:	In special issue: Internet and Smartphone Use-Related Addiction Health Problems: Treatment, Education and Research.
Publication Title:	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Creators:	Lopez-Fernandez, O. and Kuss, D.J.
Publisher:	MDPI
Date:	1 June 2020
Volume:	17
Number:	11
ISSN:	1660-4601
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.3390/ijerph17113797 DOI 1376067 Other
Rights:	© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jill Tomkinson
Date Added:	13 Oct 2020 16:01
Last Modified:	31 May 2021 15:15
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/41290