Pathological Internet Use Is on the Rise Among European Adolescents.
Increased Internet accessibility has been accompanied by an increased awareness of pathological Internet use (PIU). The aim of the study was to investigate a potential increase of PIU among European adolescents.



Comparable data from two large cross-sectional multicentre, school-based studies conducted in 2009/2010 and 2011/2012 in five European countries (Estonia, Germany, Italy, Romania, and Spain) were used. The Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of PIU.



The comparison of the two samples provides evidence that the prevalence of PIU is on the rise (4.01%-6.87%, odds ratio = 1.69, p < .001) except in Germany. Comparison with data on Internet accessibility suggests that the rise in prevalence of adolescent PIU may be a consequence of increased Internet accessibility.



Our findings are the first data to confirm the rise of PIU among European adolescents. They definitively warrant further efforts in the implementation and evaluation of preventive interventions.
Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: michael.kaess@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Michael
M
Kaess
Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Peter
P
Parzer
Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Romuald
R
Brunner
Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Julian
J
Koenig
National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tony
T
Durkee
National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Vladimir
V
Carli
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
Camilla
C
Wasserman
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Christina W
CW
Hoven
Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
Marco
M
Sarchiapone
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, CIBERSAM, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Julio
J
Bobes
Department of Clinical Psychology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Doina
D
Cosman
Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (ERSI), Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia.
Airi
A
Värnik
Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Franz
F
Resch
National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Danuta
D
Wasserman
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors
Adolescents; Internet addiction; Pathological Internet use; Prevalence; SEYLE; WE-STAY