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November 17, 2008
Chinese government outlines guidelines defining Internet Addiction Disorder
In the Wall Street Journal (11/10) China Journal blog, Juliet Ye noted that a "panel of Chinese medical experts over the weekend approved the country's first diagnostic definition of 'Internet addiction,' according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorder, or IAD as the new standard calls it, include being irritated and anxious if not able to get online, fear of social contact, and difficulty concentrating and sleeping." Now, China's Ministry of Health "will consider treatment approaches under the standard set by the panel.
Under the method being considered, hospitals will designate special psychiatric units to treat Internet addiction as a clinical disease." One Chinese study estimated that almost 10 percent of the "40 million young web users in China" may "suffer from Internet addiction."
According to PsychCentral (11/10, Grohol), the new guidelines "suggest that Internet users who spend six hours or more per day online could be diagnosed with the disorder." Patients would "also have to exhibit at least one additional symptom, such as difficulty sleeping or concentrating, a yearning to be online, irritation, and mental or physical distress."
Related Links:
- "hina Sets Internet Addiction Standard," Juliet Ye, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2008.
- "China Declares Internet Addiction Real," John M. Grohol, PsychCentral, November 10, 2008.
Posted by admin at November 17, 2008 11:58 AM