Depression and Internet Addiction in Adolescents

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between depression and Internet addiction among adolescents. Sampling and Method: A total of 452 Korean adolescents were studied. First, they were evaluated for their severity of Internet addiction with consideration of their behavioral characteristics and their primary purpose for computer use. Second, we investigated correlations between Internet addiction and depression, alcohol dependence and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Third, the relationship between Internet addiction and biogenetic temperament as assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory was evaluated. Results: Internet addiction was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Regarding biogenetic temperament and character patterns, high harm avoidance, low self-directedness, low cooperativeness and high self-transcendence were correlated with Internet addiction. In multivariate analysis, among clinical symptoms depression was most closely related to Internet addiction, even after controlling for differences in biogenetic temperament. Conclusions: This study reveals a significant association between Internet addiction and depressive symptoms in adolescents. This association is supported by temperament profiles of the Internet addiction group. The data suggest the necessity of the evaluation of the potential underlying depression in the treatment of Internet-addicted adolescents.

[1]  Jee Hyun Ha,et al.  Psychiatric comorbidity assessed in Korean children and adolescents who screen positive for Internet addiction. , 2006, The Journal of clinical psychiatry.

[2]  V. Bell,et al.  ‘Mind Control’ Experiences on the Internet: Implications for the Psychiatric Diagnosis of Delusions , 2006, Psychopathology.

[3]  H. Ellis,et al.  ‘Internet Delusions’: A Case Series and Theoretical Integration , 2005, Psychopathology.

[4]  M. Schmidt,et al.  The dopamine D4 receptor gene exon III polymorphism is associated with novelty seeking in 15-year-old males from a high-risk community sample , 2005, Journal of Neural Transmission.

[5]  Barbora Simkova,et al.  Internet Addiction Disorder and Chatting in the Czech Republic , 2004, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[6]  I. Lyoo,et al.  Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and Internet addiction , 2004, Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences.

[7]  A. Johansson,et al.  Internet addiction: characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in Norwegian youth (12-18 years). , 2004, Scandinavian journal of psychology.

[8]  Garrett Fitzmaurice,et al.  Childhood and adolescent predictors of major depression in the transition to adulthood. , 2003, The American journal of psychiatry.

[9]  Chin-Chung Tsai,et al.  Internet Addiction of Adolescents in Taiwan: An Interview Study , 2003, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[10]  F. Quitkin,et al.  "Outer-directed irritability": a distinct mood syndrome in explosive youth with a disruptive behavior disorder? , 2003, The Journal of clinical psychiatry.

[11]  Peter McGuffin,et al.  A sib-pair study of the Temperament and Character Inventory scales in major depression. , 2003, Archives of general psychiatry.

[12]  P. Lewinsohn,et al.  The symptomatic expression of major depressive disorder in adolescents and young adults. , 2003, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[13]  D. Kang,et al.  Patterns of changes in temperament and character inventory scales in subjects with obsessive–compulsive disorder following a 4‐month treatment , 2003, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[14]  G. Marijnissen,et al.  The temperament and character inventory in major depression. , 2002, Journal of affective disorders.

[15]  In Kyoon Lyoo,et al.  Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory. , 2002, Comprehensive psychiatry.

[16]  P. Verbanck,et al.  Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality profile and sub-typing in alcoholic patients: a controlled study. , 2001, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[17]  C. K. Yang,et al.  Sociopsychiatric characteristics of adolescents who use computers to excess , 2001, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[18]  J. Kwon,et al.  Patterns of temperament and character in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder. , 2001, The Journal of clinical psychiatry.

[19]  F. Poustka,et al.  Temperament and Disruptive Behavior Disorders , 2001, Psychopathology.

[20]  J. Finch,et al.  Predicting depression from temperament, personality, and patterns of social relations. , 2001, Journal of personality.

[21]  N. Ravaja,et al.  Cloninger's temperament and character dimensions in young adulthood and their relation to characteristics of parental alcohol use and smoking. , 2001, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[22]  Thomas J. H. Chen,et al.  The Reward Deficiency Syndrome: A Biogenetic Model for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Impulsive, Addictive and Compulsive Behaviors , 2000, Journal of psychoactive drugs.

[23]  D. Cohen,et al.  Adolescent depression: window of (missed?) opportunity. , 2000, The American journal of psychiatry.

[24]  J. Reggers,et al.  P300 event-related brain potential and personality in depression , 2000, European Psychiatry.

[25]  P. Mitchell.  Internet addiction: genuine diagnosis or not? , 2000, The Lancet.

[26]  M. Eisemann,et al.  Temperament and character during the course of unipolar depression among inpatients , 2000, European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.

[27]  M. Dı́az-Marsá,et al.  Sertraline in the treatment of mixed anxiety and depression disorder. , 1997, Journal of affective disorders.

[28]  P. Keck,et al.  Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic internet use. , 2000, Journal of affective disorders.

[29]  M. Dı́az-Marsá,et al.  A study of temperament and personality in anorexia and bulimia nervosa. , 2000, Journal of personality disorders.

[30]  H. Reinherz,et al.  Risk factors for depressive symptoms in late adolescence: a longitudinal community study. , 1999, The American journal of orthopsychiatry.

[31]  C. Bulik,et al.  Temperament, character and suicide attempts in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and major depression , 1999, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[32]  Karen M. Rodrigue,et al.  An Examination of Internet Usage on Two College Campuses , 1999 .

[33]  M. Pratarelli,et al.  The bits and bytes of computer/internet addiction: A factor analytic approach , 1999, Behavior research methods, instruments, & computers : a journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc.

[34]  J. Reggers,et al.  Temperament and character inventory (TCI) and depression. , 1999, Journal of psychiatric research.

[35]  P. Lewinsohn,et al.  Major depressive disorder in older adolescents: prevalence, risk factors, and clinical implications. , 1998, Clinical psychology review.

[36]  Robert E. Kraut,et al.  Internet paradox. A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? , 1998, The American psychologist.

[37]  Kimberly Young,et al.  The Relationship Between Depression and Internet Addiction , 1998, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[38]  Viktor Brenner.  Psychology of Computer Use: XLVII. Parameters of Internet Use, Abuse and Addiction: The First 90 Days of the Internet Usage Survey , 1997, Psychological reports.

[39]  C. R. Cloninger,et al.  Integrative psychobiological approach to psychiatric assessment and treatment. , 1997, Psychiatry.

[40]  M. Dı́az-Marsá,et al.  [Sertraline in the treatment of mixed anxiety and depression disorder]. , 1997, Actas luso-espanolas de neurologia, psiquiatria y ciencias afines.

[41]  K. Young,et al.  Psychology of Computer Use: XL. Addictive Use of the Internet: A Case That Breaks the Stereotype , 1996, Psychological reports.

[42]  M. OReilly.  Internet addiction: a new disorder enters the medical lexicon. , 1996, CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne.

[43]  C. R. Cloninger,et al.  A psychobiological model of temperament and character. , 1993, Archives of general psychiatry.

[44]  M. Cho,et al.  Diagnostic validity of the CES-D(Korean version) in the assessment of DSM-III-R major depression , 1993 .

[45]  B. Ben-Amos.  Depression and conduct disorders in children and adolescents: a review of the literature. , 1992, Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic.

[46]  Robert E. Roberts,et al.  Using the CES-D scale to screen for depression and anxiety: Effects of language and ethnic status , 1990, Psychiatry Research.

[47]  J. Ewing,et al.  Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire. , 1984, JAMA.

[48]  L G Kessler,et al.  Rates of symptoms of depression in a national sample. , 1981, American journal of epidemiology.

[49]  R. Hodgson,et al.  Obsessional-compulsive complaints. , 1977, Behaviour research and therapy.