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Internet addiction and self‐evaluated attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder traits among Japanese college students
Author(s) -
Tateno Masaru,
Teo Alan R.,
Shirasaka Tomohiro,
Tayama Masaya,
Watabe Motoki,
Kato Takahiro A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12454
Subject(s) - addiction , internet addiction disorder , psychology , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , attention deficit , the internet , clinical psychology , psychiatry , world wide web , computer science
Aim Internet addiction (IA), also referred to as Internet use disorder, is a serious problem all over the world, especially in Asian countries. Severe IA in students may be linked to academic failure, attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and forms of social withdrawal, such as hikikomori . In this study, we performed a survey to investigate the relation between IA and ADHD symptoms among college students. Methods Severity of IA and ADHD traits was assessed by self‐report scales. Subjects were 403 college students (response rate 78%) who completed a questionnaire including Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Adult ADHD Self‐Report Scale–V1.1. Results Out of 403 subjects, 165 were male. The mean age was 18.4 ± 1.2 years, and mean total IAT score was 45.2 ± 12.6. One hundred forty‐eight respondents (36.7%) were average Internet users (IAT < 40), 240 (59.6%) had possible addiction (IAT 40–69), and 15 (3.7%) had severe addiction (IAT ≥ 70). Mean length of Internet use was 4.1 ± 2.8 h/day on weekdays and 5.9 ± 3.7 h/day on the weekend. Females used the Internet mainly for social networking services while males preferred online games. Students with a positive ADHD screen scored significantly higher on the IAT than those negative for ADHD screen (50.2 ± 12.9 vs 43.3 ± 12.0). Conclusion Our results suggest that Internet misuse may be related to ADHD traits among Japanese youth. Further investigation of the links between IA and ADHD is warranted.