Aims To investigate the prevalence of pathological internet use (PIU) and maladaptive internet use (MIU) among adolescents in 11 European countries in relation to demographic, social factors and internet accessibility. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting The 7th Framework European Union (EU) funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE), is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating interventions for risk behavioursamongadolescentsinAustria,Estonia,France,Germany,Hungary,Ireland,Israel,Italy,Romania,Slovenia andSpain,withSwedenservingasthecoordinatingcentre.Participants Atotalof 11 956adolescents(female/male: 6731/5225; mean age: 14.9 0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools within the 11 study sites. Measurements Internet users were classified by gender into three categories: adaptive, maladaptive and pathologi- cal, based on their score in the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ). Findings The overall prevalence of PIU was 4.4%; it was higher among males than females (5.2% versus 3.8%) and differed between countries (c 2 = 309.98; d.f. = 20; P < 0.001). PIU correlated significantly with mean hours online and male gender. Thehighest-rankedonlineactivitieswerewatchingvideos,frequentingchatroomsandsocialnetworking;significantly higherratesof playingsingle-usergameswerefoundinmalesandsocialnetworkinginfemales.Livinginmetropolitan areas was associated with PIU. Students not living with a biological parent, low parental involvement and parental unemployment showed the highest relative risks of both MIU and PIU. Conclusions Across a range of countries in Europe, using the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction yields a prevalence of 'pathological internet use' of 4.4% among adolescents, but varies by country and gender; adolescents lacking emotional and psychological support are at highest risk.

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Prevalence of pathological internet use among adolescents in Europe: demographic and social factors

Background: Pathological Internet use (PIU) has been conceptualized as an impulse-control disorder that shares characteristics with behavioral addiction. Research

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The Association between Pathological Internet Use and Comorbid Psychopathology: A Systematic Review.

Background and Aims 
Internet addiction (IA) could be a major concern in university medical students aiming to develop into health professionals. The implications of this addiction as well as its association with sleep, mood disorders and self-esteem can hinder their studies, impact their long-term career goals and have wide and detrimental consequences for society as a whole. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Assess potential IA in university medical students, as well as factors associated with it; 2) Assess the relationships between potential IA, insomnia, depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem.


Methods 
Our study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among 600 students of three faculties: medicine, dentistry and pharmacy at Saint-Joseph University. Four validated and reliable questionnaires were used: the Young Internet Addiction Test, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 21), and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES).


Results 
The average YIAT score was 30 ± 18.474; Potential IA prevalence rate was 16.8% (95% confidence interval: 13.81–19.79%) and it was significantly different between males and females (p-value = 0.003), with a higher prevalence in males (23.6% versus 13.9%). Significant correlations were found between potential IA and insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem (p-value < 0.001); ISI and DASS sub-scores were higher and self-esteem lower in students with potential IA.


Conclusions 
Identifying students with potential IA is important because this addiction often coexists with other psychological problems. Therefore, interventions should include not only IA management but also associated psychosocial stressors such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, stress, and self-esteem.

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Internet Addiction and Relationships with Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression, Stress and Self-Esteem in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Designed Study

Objective: To assess the prevalence and demographic and psychological correlates of Internet use as a help-seeking resource for emotional problems in a community sample of adolescents. Method: A self-report survey was completed by 9th-through 12th-grade students ( n = 519) enrolled in health courses in six New York State high schools in the fall/winter of 1999. The relationship between Internet help-seeking behavior and demographic characteristics, hopelessness, functional impairment, and use of various treatment services was examined. Results: Nearly one fifth (18.2%) of the adolescents sought help on the Internet for emotional problems in the previous year. The proportions of males and females seeking help on the Internet did not significantly differ (15.6% and 20.8%, respectively). Internet help-seekers were significantly more likely than non–help-seekers to score above the clinical threshold on the Columbia Impairment Scale (34% versus 20.6%; χ 2 1 = 7.4, p 2 1 = 3.8, p Conclusions: For the Internet to realize its potential as an effective resource for teenagers struggling with emotional problems, further development is needed.

Seeking help from the internet during adolescence.

Internet addiction and sleep problems : A systematic review and meta-analysis

https://www.childpsych.theclinics.com/article/S1056-4993(05)00019-2/pdf

Jennifer Bremer

Papers

The internet and children: advantages and disadvantages.

Computers in Psychiatry Today