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Pathological Use of Electronic Media: Case Studies and Commentary

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Abstract

Since its formal introduction barely a dozen years ago, internet addiction (IA) has been both increasingly researched and much debated. The majority of studies have been conducted on large populations through internet surveys, with the most popular instrument for assessing IA being the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). However, both the large scale anonymous survey approach and the design and application of the IAT yield limited clinical insights. IA and the recently proposed more encompassing term of Pathological Use of Electronic Media (PUEM) require more exquisite understanding for essential and timely incorporation into DSM-5 nosology. This study presents four cases modifying the IAT for application within a structured individual interview. The findings are discussed in regard to both the clinical benefit of the procedure and considerations of PUEM for its role in DSM-5.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Jim Tucker, M.D., medical director of the Child and Family Psychiatric Clinic at the University of Virginia, and Ronald Pies, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, for their insightful and generous contributions to this paper. We also appreciate the interest of Charles O’Brien, M.D., Ph.D. and Thomas Crowley, M.D., co-chairs of the Substance-Related Disorders Work Group for DSM-5, in reviewing this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA

    Matthew W. Bowen

  2. Private Practice, San Mateo, CA, USA

    Marvin H. Firestone

  3. 6 Old Farm Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA

    Matthew W. Bowen

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  1. Matthew W. Bowen
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  2. Marvin H. Firestone
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Correspondence to Matthew W. Bowen.

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Bowen, M.W., Firestone, M.H. Pathological Use of Electronic Media: Case Studies and Commentary. Psychiatr Q 82, 229–238 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-010-9163-x

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