網路成癮是一種心理疾病嗎？從實證與論述文獻的脈絡檢視

Is internet addiction a mental disorder? A review of empirical and conceptual studies

本文主要目的乃在透過文獻的回顧與整理，從實證與論述文獻的脈絡，梳理出學術研究看待網路成癮現象的視框轉變情形，結果發現，從病態的疾病觀到非病態的適應觀之視框轉變趨勢正在形成。一方面，疾病觀點的本質探究使得物質依賴之視框逐步挪移到目前受到最多研究支持的衝動控制疾患，另一方面，受到共病研究發現的影響，網路成癮是一個獨立存在疾病的這個視框成為尚待檢驗的命題；此外，非疾病觀點的其他主張也逐漸匯集成幾種不同論述，有問題的網路使用則成為繼網路成癮之後，另一個普遍被使用的辭彙，多向度與連續光譜的檢視角度亦在成形中。因此，我們建議未來研究應以開放的態度探究此一問題的各種形貌與特徵、並加入對網路使用者及網路使用脈絡情境的檢視。在臨床實務上，我們則建議從更開放的視角理解當事人、並從內在精神層次理解有問題的網路使用之心理意涵。

This paper aimed to sort out how researchers' view of the internet addiction phenomenon evolved by providing an integrated review of the related empirical and conceptual studies. We found there was a transition from a pathological disease perspective to a non-pathological adaptation perspective. On the one hand, the view point about internet addition's essence of disease was moving from substance abuse to the impulsive control disorder which is supported by majority of researches; on the other hand, due to the researches on comorbidity, whether internet addiction is a solitary disorder or not needs to be further examined. Besides, other non-pathological assumptions were discussed in this paper. "Problematic internet use" is becoming the popular term as multidimensional and continuum spectrum perspectives toward IAD were sprouted in related references. Therefore, we recommend that future researchers exam the internet addiction phenomenon with broader perspectives taking into account the users and using conditions to figure out its various appearances and characteristics. For clinical practice, we recommend counselors to understand clients with an open mind and to explore their meaning of internet use at the inner psychological level.