Internet Addiction: How to Assess and Treat the Disorder

Internet addiction is a rapidly growing clinical condition that impacts adults and children. Given the newness of the disorder, therapists often feel unfamiliar with how to treat the problem and in some cases do not understand the addictive potential of Internet usage. This course is designed to help therapists identify the issues related to diagnosis and treatment of this new clinical problem. Using modified DSM criteria, this course provides therapists with a framework to diagnose Internet addiction, specialized assessment tools and clinical interview techniques, and reviews the subtypes of this condition as well as a model for treating Internet-addicted clients.

The intermediate level course consists of six audios. Text transcripts are available for all audios. The first audio reviews the prevalence of Internet addiction as we understand to date. The problem is relatively difficult to track, especially worldwide. The audio identifies the current literature across cultures and discusses the significant prevalence of the problem in China, Korea, and Taiwan. The second audio describes the DSM-based criteria used to diagnose Internet addiction and provides specialized clinical assessment and interview tools. The third audio explains the subtypes of Internet addiction such as Internet pornography, chat rooms, Internet gaming, and Internet gambling. The fourth audio describes several theories on why users become dependent or addicted to the Internet. The fifth audio describes CBT-IA, the current model of treating Internet addition, which is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy mixed with harm reduction therapy. The final audio summarizes the 2018 announcement by the World Health Organization regarding the new diagnosis of Internet Addiction and briefly discusses the Implications of Gaming Disorder that are classified in the ICD-11 and its implication for the DSM. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.

Disclaimer: This course is purely educational and does not intend to serve as a license (or permission) to mental health professionals to prescribe or practice any of the approaches discussed in this course unless they fall within the scope of practice of your profession. Check with your licensing board about the scope of practice of your profession to make sure you practice within that scope.It also does not serve as a permission to title yourself in any specific way.