title: Psychiatric comorbidity assessed in Korean children and adolescents who screen positive for Internet addiction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate clinical comorbidity in children and adolescents with Internet addiction by using structured interview.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in 2 stages. We screened for the presence of Internet addiction among 455 children (mean +/- SD age = 11.0 +/- 0.9 years) and 836 adolescents (mean +/- SD age = 15.8 +/- 0.8 years) using Young's Internet Addiction Scale. These subjects also completed a measure of psychopathology for comparison between addicted and nonaddicted subjects. Sixty-three children (13.8%) and 170 adolescents (20.3%) screened positive for Internet addiction. Of these, 12 children (male, N = 9; female, N = 3) and 12 adolescents (male, N = 11; female, N = 1) were randomly selected for evaluation of current psychiatric diagnoses. Structured interviews used were K-SADS-PL-K for children and SCID-IV for adolescents. Data were collected and interviews were conducted from August 2003 through October 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the child group, 7 were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) not otherwise specified including those with subthreshold levels. Mean DuPaul's ADHD Rating Scale scores were more than 20% higher than the mean in Korean children for 6 subjects. In the adolescent group, 3 subjects had major depressive disorder, 1 had schizophrenia, and 1 had obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By structured interview, we found that Internet-addicted subjects had various comorbid psychiatric disorders. The most closely related comorbidities differ with age. Though we can not conclude that Internet addiction is a cause or consequence of these disorders, clinicians must consider the possibility of age-specific comorbid psychiatric disorders in cases of Internet addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Mental Hospital, South Korea. jhnha@naver.com
authors.forename: Jee Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hee Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: In Hee
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Bumsu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Dongkeun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ji Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome