Internet Addictions Outside of Europe: A Systematic Literature Review

Background and aims: The growing problem of Internet addiction has been acknowledged through the inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the American Psychiatric Association’s fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in April 2013. In response to a recent review report on t...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: López-Fernández, Olatz
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Repositorio:e-spacio. Repositorio Institucional de la UNED
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:e-spacio.uned.es:20.500.14468/25423
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/25423
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:61 Psicología::6104 Psicopedagogía::6104.01 Procesos cognitivos
Internet addiction
problematic Internet use
systematic literature review
PRISMA
international
gaming disorder
Descripción
Sumario:Background and aims: The growing problem of Internet addiction has been acknowledged through the inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the American Psychiatric Association’s fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in April 2013. In response to a recent review report on the research published in Europe since the adoption, this review summarizes and investigates studies published outside of Europe between April 2013 and September 2019. Methods: Literature on internet addiction was included and reviewed critically following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with the objectives to (i) highlight the main findings in explorative and intervention studies and (ii) to investigate the cultural similarities and differences within the extra-European. A critical look is cast on the validity and reliability of the studies in question. Results: A total of 64 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies investigated internet addiction and IGD; however, studies on addiction to online gambling, online pornography, and social media addiction were also included. Demographically East Asia was highly represented through studies from China, Japan, and South Korea. Prevalence rates of generalised internet addiction varied from 12.6% to 67.5%. The main findings revealed a range of risk factors associated with online addictions, such as psychological distress, mood disorders, suicidality, impulsivity, aggression, and sleep problems. Most of the intervention studies made use of a cognitive behavioural therapy approach, although other interventions appeared effective in reducing addiction symptoms. Further katamnestic research is needed to follow-up on intervention studies. Conclusions: Based on the consistent findings of positive associations between online addictions and mental health problems across cultures in combination with relatively high prevalence rates amongst adolescents and university students, further research is needed and prevention strategies and treatment offers require developing and implementing.