Internet-Based Self-Assessment for Symptoms of Internet Use Disorder-Impact of Gender, Social Aspects, and Symptom Severity: German Cross-sectional Study.
J Med Internet Res
; 25: e40121, 2023 01 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36633897
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Internet use disorder (IUD) is a new type of behavioral addiction in the digital age. At the same time, internet applications and eHealth can also provide useful support in medical treatment.OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study is to examine if an internet-based eHealth service can reach individuals with IUD. In particular, it should be investigated whether both male and female individuals with more severe IUDs can be reached.METHODS:
Data were retrieved from the OMPRIS (online-based motivational intervention to reduce problematic internet use and promote treatment motivation in internet gaming disorder and internet use disorder) project (DRKS00019925), an internet-based motivational intervention to reduce problematic internet use and promote treatment motivation in internet gaming disorder and IUD. During the recruitment process (August 2020-March 2022), a total of 3007 individuals filled out the standardized scale for the assessment of internet and computer game addiction (AICA-S). The assessment was accessible via the project homepage. There was no preselection of participants at this stage of the study; however, the offer was addressed to people with hazardous internet use and IUDs. The web-based assessment was free and could be found via search engines, but attention was also drawn to the service via newspaper articles, radio reports, and podcasts.RESULTS:
Out of 3007 who participated in the web-based self-assessment, 1033 (34.4%) are female, 1740 (57.9%) are male, 67 (2.2%) are diverse individuals, and 167 (5.5%) did not disclose their gender. The IUD symptom severity score showed a wide range between the AICA-S extreme values of 0 and 27 points. On average, the total sample (mean 8.19, SD 5.47) was in the range of hazardous IUD behavior (AICA-S cutoff>7.0). Furthermore, 561 individuals (18.7% of the total sample; mean 17.42, SD 3.38) presented severe IUD (AICA-S cutoff>13.5). Focusing on female and male participants, 20.9% (363/1740) of the men and 14.9% (151/1033) of the women scored above 13.5 points, which can be considered pathological IUD behavior (χ22,2773=16.73, P<.001, effect size Cramér V=0.078). Unemployment, being in vocational training or studying at a university, and being male were significantly associated with high IUD symptoms.CONCLUSIONS:
Using a large sample, the study showed that both mildly and severely IUD-affected individuals can be reached via the internet. An internet-based eHealth offer can thus be a good way to reach patients with IUD where they are addicted-on the internet. In addition, eHealth services increase the likelihood of reaching female patients, who hardly ever come to specialized outpatient clinics and hospitals. Since social problems, especially unemployment, have a strong association with disease severity, the integration of social counseling into treatment seems advisable in terms of a multidisciplinary approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00019925; https//drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00019925.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Autoavaliação (Psicologia)
/
Transtornos Mentais
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article