Impact of Internet Addiction on Mental Health: An Integrative Therapy Is Needed

Abstract

In the past few years internet addiction (IA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) have become very frequent, leading to many personality and psychiatric disorders including low self-esteem, impulsivity, poor sleep quality, mood disorder, and suicide. IA has been included in Appendix III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as IGD. In addition, IA leads to many neuroanatomical and neurochemical alterations including cortical thinning of various components of the brain and altered dopaminergic reward circuitry. Due to widespread neuropsychiatric and neurobiological implications of IA, multiple therapeutic approaches are needed. Integrative therapy in the form of yoga and mindfulness has proven to be effective in many addiction disorders including IA.