Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2007) 13: 31-33. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.106.003004
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Computer addiction – a sceptical view

INVITED COMMENTARY ON: LOST ONLINE{dagger}

Fionnbar Lenihan

Fionnbar Lenihan is a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the Orchard Clinic Medium Secure Unit (Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK. Email: fionnbar{at}cix.co.uk). He has a long-standing interest in health informatics and is a committee member of the Mental Health Informatics Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The concept of computer addiction is examined and the importance of conceptual and nosological clarity emphasised. The risk of tautology in the construction of such conditions is raised, as is the issue of whether it would be better to classify many affected individuals in terms of the end behaviour rather than the mediating mechanism. Definitional difficulties and sociocultural contexts are explored.


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