Examining the diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction: Expert validation.
OBJECTIVE
Internet addiction is the coming problem around the world. The diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction among adolescents (DC-IA-A) has become a widely used measure for assessing the presence of Internet addiction in Taiwan. This study examined the diagnosis criteria for Internet addiction in adolescents by expert evaluation.


METHODS
Twenty psychiatrists rated the adequacy of each criterion in DC-IA-A. The content validity and homogeneity reliability proposed by Aiken were calculated.


RESULTS
The coefficients content validity and homogeneity reliability showed twenty psychiatrists agreed on each of DC-IA-A as relevant to the diagnosis of Internet addiction, though several criteria need improvements. Two criteria "excessive time spent on Internet activities and leaving the Internet" and "excessive effort spent on activities necessary to obtain access to the Internet" should be omitted, and the criteria of "tolerance" should be modified.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction among adolescents should be revised to meet the real condition of this population.
Department of Psychiatry, Lu-Tung Christian Hospital, Lukang, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wen-Yu
WY
Hsu
Institute of Education, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Sunny S J
SS
Lin
Institute of Education, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Shan-Mei
SM
Chang
Department of Counseling, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Yin-Hsing
YH
Tseng
Department of Psychiatry, Lu-Tung Christian Hospital, Lukang, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: 400786@cch.org.tw.
Nan-Ying
NY
Chiu
D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013624:Taiwan
Internet addiction; content validity; diagnosis criteria; homogeneity reliability