Predictive values of psychiatric symptoms for internet addiction in adolescents: a 2-year prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the predictive values of psychiatric symptoms for the occurrence of Internet addiction and to determine the sex differences in the predictive value of psychiatric symptoms for the occurrence of Internet addiction in adolescents.


METHODS
Internet addiction, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia, and hostility were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. Participants were then invited to be assessed for Internet addiction 6, 12, and 24 months later (the second, third, and fourth assessments, respectively).


METHODS
Ten junior high schools in southern Taiwan.


METHODS
A total of 2293 (1179 boys and 1114 girls) adolescents participated in the initial investigation.


METHODS
The course of time.


METHODS
Internet addiction as assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale.


RESULTS
Depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia, and hostility were found to predict the occurrence of Internet addiction in the 2-year follow-up, and hostility and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were the most significant predictors of Internet addiction in male and female adolescents, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, hostility, depression, and social phobia should be detected early on and intervention carried out to prevent Internet addiction in adolescents. Also, sex differences in psychiatric comorbidity should be taken into consideration when developing prevention and intervention strategies for Internet addiction.
Ko
Chih-Hung
CH
Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 807.
Yen
Ju-Yu
JY
Chen
Cheng-Sheng
CS
Yeh
Yi-Chun
YC
Yen
Cheng-Fang
CF
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology