Abstract

Abstract Aims To investigate the prevalence of pathological internet use ( PIU ) and maladaptive internet use ( MIU ) among adolescents in 11 E uropean countries in relation to demographic, social factors and internet accessibility. Design Cross‐sectional survey. Setting The 7th Framework European Union ( EU ) funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in E urope ( SEYLE ), is a randomized controlled trial ( RCT ) evaluating interventions for risk behaviours among adolescents in A ustria, E stonia, F rance, G ermany, H ungary, I reland, I srael, I taly, R omania, S lovenia and S pain, with S weden serving as the coordinating centre. Participants A total of 11 956 adolescents (female/male: 6731/5225; mean age: 14.9 ± 0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools within the 11 study sites. Measurements Internet users were classified by gender into three categories: adaptive, maladaptive and pathological, based on their score in the Y oung D iagnostic Q uestionnaire for Internet Addiction ( YDQ ). Findings The overall prevalence of PIU was 4.4%; it was higher among males than females (5.2% versus 3.8%) and differed between countries (χ 2 = 309.98; d.f. = 20; P < 0.001). PIU correlated significantly with mean hours online and male gender. The highest‐ranked online activities were watching videos, frequenting chatrooms and social networking; significantly higher rates of playing single‐user games were found in males and social networking in females. Living in metropolitan areas was associated with PIU . Students not living with a biological parent, low parental involvement and parental unemployment showed the highest relative risks of both MIU and PIU . Conclusions Across a range of countries in E urope, using the Y oung D iagnostic Q uestionnaire for Internet Addiction yields a prevalence of ‘pathological internet use’ of 4.4% among adolescents, but varies by country and gender; adolescents lacking emotional and psychological support are at highest risk.