A Meta-Analysis of Treatment Interventions for Internet Addiction Among Korean Adolescents

Abstract

This study comprehensively examined the effects of treatment interventions for Internet addiction among adolescents in South Korea through a meta-analysis. We analyzed 70 domestic master's theses and journal articles that reported on controlled studies and involved pre- and post-test analyses in the design. The dates of these publications fall between 2000 and 2015. The total effect size, calculated by random-effect analysis (g), revealed that interventions for the treatment of Internet addiction were effective (ES = 1.838). Meta-ANOVAs revealed differences between groups based on a theoretical model, intervention group size, and intervention duration. Integrative therapy produced larger effect sizes (ES = 2.794) compared to other treatment models such as cognitive behavioral therapy and reality therapy. Effect sizes for interventions, including nine to 12 people (ES = 2.178), were larger than those of interventions including more or fewer participants. Finally, treatment interventions that lasted 8 or more weeks revealed larger effect sizes (ES = 2.294) compared to shorter interventions. The study findings suggest directions for the development and effective operation of future Internet addiction interventions among Korean adolescents. Increasing the effectiveness of these interventions requires an integrative theoretical model, an intervention group size of nine to 12 participants, and a long-term intervention.

Prediction of internet addiction based on information literacy among students of Iran University of Medical Sciences

“…They assessed the relationship between spent time on the Internet and the academic achievement of students. The results showed a positive relationship between internet literacy and academic achievement among students ( 36 ). The results of a survey conducted by Lemos et al in 2016 declared that those who avidly used the Internet had high levels of depression and anxiety, and they had a lower level of self-esteem.…”

A meta-analysis of psychological interventions for Internet/smartphone addiction among adolescents

“…Researchers have investigated the reasons, risks, and severity of Internet/smartphone addiction and interventions for reducing the severity of such in a number of ways and from various disciplinary perspectives. However, even though the peculiarities of problematic Internet use have been previously analyzed by researchers, there is still no general agreement in the literature about the effectiveness of psychological interventions for Internet addiction among adolescents (Chun, Shim, & Kim, 2017). Therefore, we believe that an assessment of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for Internet addiction among adolescents requires a meta-analytical investigation because Internet addiction is prevalent among adolescents and is associated with various negative outcomes (Mo, Chan, Chan, & Lau, 2018).…”

“…Excessive usage of the Internet is associated with a psychiatric condition known as Internet addiction (IA; Pies, 2009;Zhang, Lim, Lee, & Ho, 2018). Internet use may have negative impacts on daily life function, family relationships, and emotional stability among adolescents (Chun et al, 2017). IA disorder ruins lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances, and social problems (Mo et al, 2018).…”

Adicción a internet en adolescentes: una breve revisión

“…Las investigaciones en relación con la prevalencia de este fenómeno se revisarán a lo largo de este estudio, sin embargo, es necesario señalar que existe consenso científico en indicar que los países asiáticos presentan las mayores tasas de AI en adolescentes (Chun, Shim, & Kim, 2017;Lau, Gross, Wu, Cheng, & Lau, 2017).…”