Internet-Based Self-Assessment for Symptoms of Internet Use Disorder—Impact of Gender, Social Aspects, and Symptom Severity: German Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Internet use disorder (IUD) is a new type of behavioral addiction in the digital age. At the same time, internet applications and eHealth can also provide useful support in medical treatment. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine if an internet-based eHealth service can reach individuals with IUD. In particular, it should be investigated whether both male and female individuals with more severe IUDs can be reached. Methods: Data were retrieved from the OMPRIS (online-based motivational intervention to reduce problematic internet use and promote treatment motivation in internet gaming disorder and internet use disorder) project (DRKS00019925), an internet-based motivational intervention to reduce problematic internet use and promote treatment motivation in internet gaming disorder and IUD. During the recruitment process (August 2020-March 2022), a total of 3007 individuals filled out the standardized scale for the assessment of internet and computer game addiction (AICA-S). The assessment was accessible via the project homepage. There was no preselection of participants at this stage of the study; however, the offer was addressed to people with hazardous internet use and IUDs. The web-based assessment was free and could be found via search engines, but attention was also drawn to the service via newspaper articles, radio reports, and podcasts. Results: Out of 3007 who participated in the web-based self-assessment, 1033 (34.4%) are female, 1740 (57.9%) are male, 67 (2.2%) are diverse individuals, and 167 (5.5%) did not disclose their gender. The IUD symptom severity score showed a wide range between the AICA-S extreme values of 0 and 27 points. On average, the total sample (mean 8.19, SD 5.47) was in the range of hazardous IUD behavior (AICA-S cutoff>7.0). Furthermore, 561 individuals (18.7% of the total sample; mean 17.42, SD 3.38) presented severe IUD (AICA-S cutoff>13.5). Focusing on female and male participants, 20.9% (363/1740) of the men and 14.9% (151/1033) of the women scored above 13.5 points, which can be considered pathological IUD behavior (χ22,2773=16.73, P