Health-policy approaches for problematic Internet use: lessons from substance use disorders

A recognition of the burden of disease due to behavioural addictions — and the increasing portion of that burden attributable to forms of problematic Internet use (PIU) — requires a proportionately significant health-policy response. The empirical landscape with regard to successful interventions for PIU is significantly underdeveloped. However, the more established evidence base with regard to health-policy interventions for substance use disorders provides a valuable guide in developing interventions for PIU. In this review, we consider some of the lessons drawn from health-policy frameworks concerning substance use disorders in developing health-policy interventions for PIU, focusing on the central example of online gaming disorder.