Screening Tools for Technological Addictions: A Proposal for the Strategy of Mental Health

The emergence of addictive problems associated with the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is a challenge for mental health in modern societies. For this reason, the Spanish Mental Health Strategy, currently in project, includes the problem of “emerging addictions” in young people, in the 14 mental health topics to be analysed. The main objective of this research was to develop three screening tools that can be used by health staff (e.g., psychologists, physicians) to better link early detection with early intervention in the field of technological addictions. In this paper, three kind of technological addictions were selected: Internet/social networks, mobile and video games. Two groups of participants were selected for each technology: a) users of Internet/social network, mobile or video games without psychological problems due to the use of these technologies, and b) people who sought counselling or advice for their addictive problems with some of these technologies. Three screening tools for each technological addiction (Internet/social network, mobile and video games) were developed. These tools consist on the two items of each of the tests which have the highest Positive Predictive Values (PPV) to differentiate between the non-problematic users of technologies and those who have an addictive problem with Internet, mobile or video games. This article shows three screening tools that can be used by health or clinical staff, in the case that the professional supposes that the patient has an addictive problem with any of the three technologies. Then, the screening procedure should be implemented. If the diagnostic of addiction is confirmed, the patient should be treated with psychological treatment based in evidence. Some advices are also proposed for those who do not need any specialized intervention for addiction.