Internet Addiction and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Traits among Female College Students in Japan

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have reported that internet addiction (IA) is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) consistently. However, in terms of gender, there are controversial findings. We aimed to investigate the relation between IA and self-acknowledged ADHD traits among female college students in Japan. METHODS: The study questionnaire consisted of questions about demographics, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-V1.1 Part A (ADHD screener) and Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT). When four or more items are more frequent than the cut-off on ADHD screener, the subject was categorized into students with a positive ADHD screen. We defined students with total IAT score of 70 and higher as IA. RESULTS: A total number of respondents was 369 (mean age: 19.0±0.7 years). Seventy-seven subjects were screened positive on ADHD screener (20.9%). Students with a positive ADHD screen scored significantly higher on the IAT (54.2±14.2 vs. 42.5±11.3). The rates of IA in students with and without a positive ADHD screen were 18.2% and 1.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of this study demonstrated the relation between IA and self-evaluated ADHD traits among female college students in Japan. Appropriate education for students on how to use the internet properly will be necessary to prevent IA.