Internet Addiction: A Clinical Perspective

Abstract

In order to gain a comprehensive picture of the clinical perspective on Internet addiction, this chapter will first outline the historical context of relevant research. The ultimate aim is to inform the applied area of clinical practice by elucidating the state of research in the field regarding both the classification of Internet addiction and the relevance of this emerging health problem within the clinical context. First, the current state of empirical knowledge of Internet addiction will be presented, which will be followed by introducing the perspectives of international Internet addiction treatment experts and their experiences with treating Internet addiction and its various manifestations in different contexts and countries. It is anticipated that the presentation of empirical studies together with psychotherapeutic knowledge and experience will offer important insights into how research can be translated into actual clinical practice, furthering our understanding of a newly emerging potential mental health concern. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)