Critically Assessment

Critically Assess The View That Talking Therapies Are The Solution To Mental Health Problems In The New Millenium

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that mental health practitioners' report increased caseloads of clients whose primary complaint involves Internet. However, little is known about the incidence, associated behaviors, attitudes of practitioners, and interventions involved related to this relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, this study surveyed therapists who have treated clients suffering from cyber-related problems to gather such outcome information. Respondents reported an average caseload of nine clients who they classified as Internet-addicted, with a range between two to fifty clients treated within the past year. Five general subtypes of Internet addiction were categorized based upon the most problematic types of online applications, and they include addictions to Cybersex, Cyber-relationships, online stock trading or gambling, information surfing, and computer games. Treatment strategies No Iframes included cognitive-behavioral approaches, sexual offender therapy, marital and family therapy, social skills training, and pharmacological interventions. Based upon their client encounters, efforts to initiate support groups and recovery programs specializing in the treatment of Internet addiction were being considered. Finally, based upon the findings, this paper examines the impact of cyber-disorders on future research, treatment, and public policy issues for the new millennium.

Critically Assess The View That Talking Therapies Are The Solution To Mental Health Problems In The New Millenium

Introduction

Among a small but growing body of research, the term addiction has extended into the psychiatric lexicon to identify problematic Internet use associated with significant social, psychological, and occupational impairment.1-10 Symptoms include a preoccupation with the Internet, increased anxiety when off-line, hiding or lying about the extent of on-line use, and impairment to real-life functioning. In particular, this research argued that addictive use of the Internet directly lead to social isolation, increased depression, familial discord, divorce, academic failure, financial debt, and job loss.

Such cyber-related issues not only appear to be a growing social concern, but anecdotal evidence has suggested that mental health practitioners ranging from college counselors, martial therapists, to drug and alcohol counselors report increased caseloads of clients whose primary complaint involves Internet. A few comprehensive treatment centers for Computer/Internet Addiction Recovery have even emerged in response to these new cases. However, outcome data related to the reason for referral, primary complaints, the associated behaviors, attitudes of practitioners, and interventions applied to this new phenomenon have yet to be collected. Therefore, this study is the first to survey therapists who have treated clients whose primary or underlying complaint involves the Internet to gather such outcome data and to utilize the results for future research, treatment, and public policy recommendations.

Methods

Subjects: Participants were therapists who responded to: (a) postings on relevant electronic discussion groups (e.g., NetPsy) and (b) those who searched for the keywords "Internet" or "addiction" on popular Web search engines (e.g., Yahoo) to find The Center for On-Line Addiction web site where the survey existed.

Measures: A survey was constructed that could be administered and collected electronically. The survey consisted of both open-ended and closed-ended questions and was divided into three ...