Internet Addiction and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Internet addiction has become a social and public health problem especially among adolescents and adults. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the Internet addiction and discuss the process of treating Internet addiction by using cognitive behavioral therapy for Internet addiction model (CBT-IA). Among the Internet addiction, I have elected to focus on the studies regarding definition, prevalence, risk factors, negatives consequences, and treatment modalities with focus on CBT-IA. In contrast, research on the CBT-IA is still in its early stages. Till now, there is no clear definition for Internet addiction, and these definitions are based on assessment tools that are developed by researchers. There was a variance in the prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents and adults, which might be related to many factors including assessment instruments and cultural factors. There are many risk factors for Internet addiction that involve socio-demographic, social, psychological factors, and Internet use practices. Many negative consequences result from Internet addiction such as social withdrawal, lack of relationships with families and peers, and psychological problems including depression and anxiety. The CBT-IA is the most effective treatment for Internet addiction. The CBT-IA model is a comprehensive approach, which can be divided into three phases: behavior modification, cognitive restructuring, and harm reduction therapy (HRT)