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Internet addiction

Internet addiction is a "clinical disorder", says The Daily Telegraph today. The newspaper quotes a leading psychiatrist who suggests that “obsessive internet use is a public health problem, which is so serious it should be officially recognised as a clinical disorder”. The editorial which sparked this news story is a one-page opinion piece which responds to a call for work exploring the criteria for the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions. Any suggestions were to be considered by the American Psychiatric Association for inclusion in an update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders , currently known as DSM-IV . This editorial has effectively put the case for more research into internet addiction. For any emerging clinical or policy issue, getting agreement from experts on accurate and consistent diagnostic criteria is an important first step, and this editorial will be a component of that process. It is not clear from this paper what the extent of the problem is in the UK.

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