Predictors of spontaneous remission in school students with Internet use disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Context and relevance. Internet use disorders (IUDs), which include different types of behavioral addiction patterns related to inappropriate or excessive internet use, have become a major problem among children and adolescents. Objective. This study aims to explore which predictors favor spontaneous remission in school students with IUDs. Methods and materials. We systematically searched for relevant longitudinal cohort and case-control studies published in PubMed, ProQuest, and the Cochrane Library. Quantitative syntheses were performed. Results: The analysis includes 10 prospective studies published between 2007 and 2022. Overall, the spontaneous remission rate was 44,2%. A higher level of self-esteem predicted spontaneous IUD remission. Social and demographic predictors (age, sex, family relations, economic welfare, macrosocial adjustment, etc.), IUD score, social anxiety score, general anxiety score, and impulsiveness did not affect the probability of remission. Data on the significance of school performance, hostility and aggression, ADHD score, and frequency of daily internet use were conflicting. A lower depression score did not favor remission; however, a tendency was observed, and conflicting data on the role of severe depression should be noted. Conclusions. Interpersonal IUD remission predictors are less important compared to intrapersonal ones. Since intrapersonal (especially self-related) predictors are less well studied, further research is warranted to verify our findings. Lower self-esteem and more severe depressive symptoms (the nature of which is yet to be studied) may increase the likelihood of spontaneous remission and could be targeted to improve therapeutic programs. The importance of addressing family relations, economic welfare, anxiety, social anxiety, and impulsiveness should not be overstated.

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