LARCHMONT, NY – January 3, 2000 – To start off the new millennium, the journal of CyberPsychology and Behavior announces the release of a special edition devoted entirely to the emergent field of Internet addiction. The special edition includes eleven research articles from the leading authorities in the study of online behavior and is the first to exclusively present a comprehensive body of work on the topic.
Articles investigate the prevalence rates of Internet addiction, outcome studies that apply various therapy modalities to treatment of Internet addiction, and identify specific risk factors for Internet addiction such as loneliness, thrill-seeking behavior, and sexual compulsivity. Early research on compulsive online gambling and cybersexual addiction is also included and theoretical models of healthy Internet use are presented.
"Beyond the Y2K hype, this research raises new concerns on how the Internet impacts human behavior. Overall, these findings suggest that mental health agencies ranging from drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, family services, college counseling centers, to Employee Assistance Programs have documented an increase caseload of clients with Internet-related problems. The publication of scholarly work adds a layer of legitimacy to this so-called ‘controversial’ disorder and allows the healthcare field to utilize evidenced-based studies to guide in future research and treatment issues regarding emergent cyber-disorders", says Dr. Kimberly Young, guest editor of the special issue.
The issue of Internet addiction has seen dramatic changes over the past few years with increased attention towards the emergence of specialty treatment programs to address its recovery. "This research will aid mental health practitioners and enable clinicians to make informed treatment choices based upon empirical evidence", according to Dr. Mark Wiederhold, editor-in-chief of the journal.
Online industry analysts estimate over 85 million Americans are on-line with that number expected to increase by 12 million in the next year, and the latest studies support that nearly six percent or 11 million of those online users suffer from Internet addiction. "Internet addiction poses a serious clinical and societal threat to our healthcare system because we do not have adequate treatment systems in place to deal with the influx of new cases as we do for alcoholism and drug dependency. Given the rapid growth rate of new users each day, we should examine the impact of Cyber-Disorders on public policy. Primarily media prevention campaigns to warn online users of the potential risks involved, similar to prevention campaigns for alcoholism and drug dependence", says Dr Young, the executive director of the Center for On-Line Addiction.
CyberPsychology and Behavior is a peer-review research journal published bimonthly by MaryAnne Liebert, Inc. The journal includes studies on the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society. For more information contact:
Dr. Kimberly Young
Guest Editor
Dr. Mark Wiederhold
Editor-in-Chief
CyberPsychology and Behavior
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel. (858) 826-4128
Email: mark.d.wiederhold@cpmx.saic.com |
