Help-seeking threshold of Chinese youth with internet addiction : locating the tipping point

Abstract

The growing convenience and attractiveness of Internet-based activities engage most people at study, work and leisure. Although there are many advantages in using the Internet, its negative impacts should not be underestimated. The user-turned-addict process is not conspicuous and people can be enslaved without knowing it, resulting in significant individual and social costs. It can ruin people’s lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances, and social problems. It is difficult and costly to handle such hidden and insidious addictive behaviour.

Various studies in the 2010s reported a huge range (15 to 40%) in the estimated number (170,000 to 400,000) of young people in Hong Kong who might be addicted to the Internet, and the trend was ever growing with new products and modern living styles. However, only few actively sought help despite the existence of relevant services. There were limited studies on the why and how young people with Internet addiction seek help and the outcome of such efforts. The current study applied qualitative research approach supplemented by quantitative methods to formulate a model on the help-seeking behaviour of such addicts. Data quality was assured through multiple-informant and multi-method data triangulation. The Straussian Grounded Theory approach was used to analyse the qualitative data, while SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data.

The Internet Addiction Help-seeking Questionnaire (IAHSQ), Internet Addiction Precipitating Event Inventory (IAPEI), and the Model of Help-seeking Threshold of Chinese Youth with Internet Addiction were formulated in the preliminary study based on interviews and survey of youths actively seeking help or successful cases of Chinese youths with Internet addiction aged 10-24 (n=27). Their parents / family members / significant others (n=10), the service providers of Internet addiction counselling and treatment centres (n=2), and an expert consultation team (n=11) were also consulted. The youth participants’ addiction experiences could be grouped into six phases: Engagement and Enjoyment, Obsession, Shock Incident / Precipitating Event, Reflection and Contemplation, Help-seeking Judgment, and Change or Termination. The tipping point(s) for their help-seeking were located accordingly. The findings were useful for theory-building, future research and services improvement. The study identified useful proactive strategies to approach youth Internet addiction, and they are transferrable to other types of behavioural addiction. The thesis will discuss the implications of the findings for related social work research and practice.