Prevalence of internet addiction in patients with substance dependence.

INTRODUCTION: Substance addiction can be characterized by a recurring desire to continue taking drugs despite harmful consequences. This drug- seeking behaviour causes craving and loss of control. Non- substance addictions can be pathological gambling, food addiction, internet addiction or mobile phone addiction. Internet addiction can be divided into: 1. Online game addiction 2. Cyber-related addiction 3. Cyber- sexual addiction 4. Information overload 5. Cyber-impulse act 6. Computer-technology addiction. Various commonalities have been found in previous studies in people with both substance and behavioral addictions. Some of these are similar personality traits like impulsivity and neuroticism. They have also been related to emotional regulation and attachment. This study aims to study the prevalence of internet addiction in patients with substance addiction. AIM: To study the prevalence of internet addiction in patients with substance dependence METHODOLOGY: The study will be initiated after obtaining institutional ethics committee approval from Ethics Committee, Osmania Medical College. All patients fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria for any substance dependence will be selected through convenient sampling. Those meeting the inclusion criteria will be interviewed. The sociodemographic details of the patients would be collected through a semistructured intake pro forma. Then the Chen Internet Addiction Scale will be applied on the participants.