Internet addiction disorder: A descriptive study of college counselors in four-year institutions

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to determine college counselor's (1) familiarity with Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), (2) knowledge of IAD criteria, and (3) training regarding the diagnosis and treatment of college students suffering from IAD. The study looked at the difference between (a) the counselor's age and (b) institution size on the counselor's familiarity with IAD, knowledge of IAD criteria, and training regarding the diagnosis and treatment of college students.;Methodology. Descriptive and ex-post-facto research designs were used in this study. The sample was “simple random sampling.” The population was college counselors employed at private and public four-year colleges in the state of California. The population database consisted of 355 people. The sample totaled 186 individuals. A survey was designed to collect data from college counselors on Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). The survey instrument was sent to 186 individuals. 133 counselors responded, with a response rate of 71.5 percent.;Findings. Using chi-square, there was statistical significance found at the .042 level and .026 level for two findings. There was a significant difference (.042) between a counselor's familiarity with Internet Addiction Disorder and the counselor's age, and there was a significant difference (.026) between the criterion, mood modification through Internet use, and counselor's age.;Three key findings from descriptive data were: (1) 84.2 percent of college counselors “agree” or “strongly agree” that Internet Addiction Disorder is a legitimate disorder; (2) 93.2 percent of college counselors have “some, but not sufficient training” or “no training” regarding the diagnosis of students suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder; and (3) 94 percent of college counselors have “no training” or “some, but not sufficient training” in the appropriate treatment of college students suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder.;Conclusion/recommendations. College counselors need to be trained in diagnosis and treatment of college students suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder. Additional research needs to be conducted regarding college counselor's age related to familiarity with Internet Addiction Disorder and Dr. Kimberly Young's eight diagnostic criteria.