Case study: the internet as a developmental tool in an adolescent boy with psychosis.
The Internet has become an increasingly important part of teen culture; however, there still remains little in the medical/psychiatric literature pertaining to the impact of the Internet on adolescent development. Despite the potential problems associated with communication online, the Internet offers a variety of positive opportunities for teens. In this report, we present a case study that illustrates the Internet as a helpful tool in a 15-year-old adolescent boy with a history of chronic neurological illness accompanied by refractory psychosis. Although the case emphasizes some of the ways in which the Internet may have a positive impact on adolescent development, further research is indicated to evaluate the contexts in which the Internet serves healthy developmental processes and those in which its influence is potentially deleterious.
Daley
Melita L
ML
Youth Services Division, Merced County Department of Mental Health, Merced, CA 95340, USA. mdaley@mednet.ucla.edu
Becker
Daniel F
DF
Flaherty
Lois T
LT
Harper
Gordon
G
King
Robert A
RA
Lester
Patricia
P
Milosavljevic
Nada
N
Onesti
Silvio J
SJ
Rappaport
Nancy
N
Schwab-Stone
Mary
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*