Summary

On-line consultation may be beneficial in the provision of prevention, education, and short-term intervention for pathological Internet use. However, as these cases are based on limited and experimental data, additional research is necessary to explore the exact utility of such an on-line consultation service. The systematic comparison between E-mail, chat room dialogue, and in vivo interventions within an on-line community should be considered. Its utility as an adjunct to face-to-face therapy should also be assessed. Finally, on-line interventions with any patient population holds significant ethical and therapeutic limitations that need to be considered.

While there may be promise for on-line consultation services, many will question its utility for those addicted to the Internet. The common argument is "Isn’t it like holding an AA meeting at a bar." It is important to keep in mind that Internet addicts and their families often complain that they have been unsuccessful in finding local treatment programs, support groups, or individual therapists who are familiar with this problem. Since this is a relatively new and unrecognized affliction, many therapists minimize the impact the Internet has on an individual and therefore do not address this issue as part of the treatment. Therefore, an on-line service provides access to knowledgeable professionals available independent of geographic limitations. Additionally, on-line interventions are not intended to reinforce habitual use, but rather focus on moderated and controlled Internet use.

With the rapid expansion of the Internet into previously remote markets and another estimated 11.7 million planning to go on-line in the next year (IntelliQuest, 1997), the Internet may pose a potential clinical threat little is understood about the treatment implications for this emergent familial and societal problem. Future research may address specific interventions and conduct outcome studies for effective treatment management. Finally, future research should focus on the prevalence, incidence, and the role of this type of behavior in other established addictions (e.g., substance dependencies or pathological gambling) or psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder).

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