Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
Background: In recent years, the use of the internet among children and adolescents has dramatically increased, leading to growing concerns regarding the potential risks of excessive internet use and addiction. Addressing these concerns, this systematic review aims to summarize current evidence on t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3345 |
| _version_ | 1797602301188243456 |
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| author | Shahana Ayub Lakshit Jain Shanli Parnia Anil Bachu Rabeea Farhan Harendra Kumar Amanda Sullivan Saeed Ahmed |
| author_facet | Shahana Ayub Lakshit Jain Shanli Parnia Anil Bachu Rabeea Farhan Harendra Kumar Amanda Sullivan Saeed Ahmed |
| author_sort | Shahana Ayub |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In recent years, the use of the internet among children and adolescents has dramatically increased, leading to growing concerns regarding the potential risks of excessive internet use and addiction. Addressing these concerns, this systematic review aims to summarize current evidence on the effectiveness of treatment interventions for internet addiction among children and adolescents. Method: We performed a systematic review using PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar with search terms including “internet addiction”, “problematic internet use”, “children” or “adolescents”, “treatment” and “randomized controlled trial”. We found 10 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) meeting the criteria and included them in this systematic review. Results: This systematic review analyzed 10 randomized controlled trials focused on treatment interventions for internet addiction in adolescents and young adults. The interventions used were diverse, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, electro-acupuncture (EA), and solution-focused approaches. The measures used to assess the effectiveness of the interventions also varied, but most studies reported moderate to large effect sizes for at least some outcomes. Overall, the studies suggest that interventions such as CBT and EA can be effective in reducing symptoms of internet addiction, internet gaming disorder, and unspecified internet use disorders. School-based programs and brief manualized CBT programs also show promise, though more research is needed to determine their long-term effectiveness. Conclusion: Promising treatment approaches for internet addiction are emerging, but inconsistencies in conceptualization, language, and diagnostic criteria present some challenges. The growing recognition of problematic internet use, as shown by the DSM-5′s recognition of Internet Gaming Disorder, highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach and standardized criteria to facilitate accurate reporting across studies. Continued research is needed to identify effective treatments and diagnostic criteria for internet addiction, with the potential to offer practical insights into effective medications and therapies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:14:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b2806011049497f840572941929686f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:14:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b2806011049497f840572941929686f2023-11-17T23:13:57ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-05-01129334510.3390/jcm12093345Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)Shahana Ayub0Lakshit Jain1Shanli Parnia2Anil Bachu3Rabeea Farhan4Harendra Kumar5Amanda Sullivan6Saeed Ahmed7Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Newburgh, NY 12550, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06032, USACIMPAR, 101 Madison St. Suite 300, Oak Park, IL 60302, USAPsychiatry Residency Program, Baptist Health UAMS Hospital, 3500 Springhill, Suite 100, North Little Rock, AR 72116, USARutgers School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USADow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Karachi City 74200, PakistanQuinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518, USARutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701, USABackground: In recent years, the use of the internet among children and adolescents has dramatically increased, leading to growing concerns regarding the potential risks of excessive internet use and addiction. Addressing these concerns, this systematic review aims to summarize current evidence on the effectiveness of treatment interventions for internet addiction among children and adolescents. Method: We performed a systematic review using PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar with search terms including “internet addiction”, “problematic internet use”, “children” or “adolescents”, “treatment” and “randomized controlled trial”. We found 10 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) meeting the criteria and included them in this systematic review. Results: This systematic review analyzed 10 randomized controlled trials focused on treatment interventions for internet addiction in adolescents and young adults. The interventions used were diverse, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, electro-acupuncture (EA), and solution-focused approaches. The measures used to assess the effectiveness of the interventions also varied, but most studies reported moderate to large effect sizes for at least some outcomes. Overall, the studies suggest that interventions such as CBT and EA can be effective in reducing symptoms of internet addiction, internet gaming disorder, and unspecified internet use disorders. School-based programs and brief manualized CBT programs also show promise, though more research is needed to determine their long-term effectiveness. Conclusion: Promising treatment approaches for internet addiction are emerging, but inconsistencies in conceptualization, language, and diagnostic criteria present some challenges. The growing recognition of problematic internet use, as shown by the DSM-5′s recognition of Internet Gaming Disorder, highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach and standardized criteria to facilitate accurate reporting across studies. Continued research is needed to identify effective treatments and diagnostic criteria for internet addiction, with the potential to offer practical insights into effective medications and therapies.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3345internet addictionproblematic internet usechildrenadolescentstreatmentrandomized controlled trial |
| spellingShingle | Shahana Ayub Lakshit Jain Shanli Parnia Anil Bachu Rabeea Farhan Harendra Kumar Amanda Sullivan Saeed Ahmed Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) Journal of Clinical Medicine internet addiction problematic internet use children adolescents treatment randomized controlled trial |
| title | Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) |
| title_full | Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) |
| title_fullStr | Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) |
| title_short | Treatment Modalities for Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) |
| title_sort | treatment modalities for internet addiction in children and adolescents a systematic review of randomized controlled trials rcts |
| topic | internet addiction problematic internet use children adolescents treatment randomized controlled trial |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3345 |
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