TY - JOUR
T1 - Which Are the Optimal Screening Tools for Internet Use Disorder in Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review of Psychometric Evidence
AU - Schlossarek, Samantha
AU - Hohls, Lisa
AU - Schmidt, Hannah
AU - Bischof, Anja
AU - Bischof, Gallus
AU - Brandt, Dominique
AU - Borgwardt, Stefan
AU - Browne, Dillon T
AU - Christakis, Dimitri
AU - Pietra, Pamela Hurst-Della
AU - Demetrovics, Zsolt
AU - Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - Purpose of Review: The early detection of problematic Internet use (PIU) is essential to prevent the development of Internet use disorders (IUD). Although a variety of screening tools have already been developed and validated for this purpose, yet a consensus about optimal IUD assessment is still lacking. In this systematic review, we (i) describe the identified instruments for children and adolescents, (ii) critically examine their psychometric properties, and (iii) derive recommendations for particularly well-validated instruments. Recent Findings: We conducted a systematic literature search in five databases on January 15, 2024. Of the initial 11,408 references identified, 511 studies were subjected to a full-text analysis resulting in a final inclusion of 70 studies. These studies validated a total of 31 instruments for PIU and IUD, including the Diagnostic Interview for Internet Addiction (DIA), a semi-structured interview. In terms of validation frequency, the Internet Addition Test (IAT) had the largest evidence base, followed by the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS). Only two of the measures examined were based on the current DSM-5 criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. Summary: Although no screening instrument was found to be clearly superior, the strongest recommendation can be made for CIUS, and Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS2). Overall, the quality of the included studies can only be rated as moderate. The IUD research field would benefit from clear cut-off scores and a clinical validation of (screening) instruments.
AB - Purpose of Review: The early detection of problematic Internet use (PIU) is essential to prevent the development of Internet use disorders (IUD). Although a variety of screening tools have already been developed and validated for this purpose, yet a consensus about optimal IUD assessment is still lacking. In this systematic review, we (i) describe the identified instruments for children and adolescents, (ii) critically examine their psychometric properties, and (iii) derive recommendations for particularly well-validated instruments. Recent Findings: We conducted a systematic literature search in five databases on January 15, 2024. Of the initial 11,408 references identified, 511 studies were subjected to a full-text analysis resulting in a final inclusion of 70 studies. These studies validated a total of 31 instruments for PIU and IUD, including the Diagnostic Interview for Internet Addiction (DIA), a semi-structured interview. In terms of validation frequency, the Internet Addition Test (IAT) had the largest evidence base, followed by the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS). Only two of the measures examined were based on the current DSM-5 criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. Summary: Although no screening instrument was found to be clearly superior, the strongest recommendation can be made for CIUS, and Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS2). Overall, the quality of the included studies can only be rated as moderate. The IUD research field would benefit from clear cut-off scores and a clinical validation of (screening) instruments.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Assessment
KW - Behavioral addiction
KW - Instrument
KW - Internet addiction
KW - Problematic internet use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85197402446&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s40429-024-00568-w
DO - 10.1007/s40429-024-00568-w
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85197402446
SN - 2196-2952
VL - 11
SP - 753
EP - 770
JO - Current Addiction Reports
JF - Current Addiction Reports
IS - 5
ER -