UK Facility Offers Technology Addiction Treatment

March 18, 2010 -

A UK treatment facility has introduced technology addiction to its repertoire, claiming that the service was added in response to increased calls from parents concerned about their children’s over use of games, the internet or cell phones.

London’s Capio Nightingale Hospital’s Young Person Technology Addiction Service features programs that “are individually tailored to the needs of the young person and vary from intensive in-patient care, through day care to group and individual therapy.” Treatment includes processes such as interpersonal therapy, exploring “the meaning” of a users dependence on technology, the promotion of life skills and improving health and diet.

The hospital’s Dr. Richard Graham on the new service:

Mental health services need to adapt quickly to the changing worlds that young people inhabit, and understand just how seriously their lives can be impaired by unregulated time online, on-screen or in-game.

The Young Person Technology Addiction Service is aimed at kids between the ages of 15-17, but the facility would treat children as young as 12, a spokesperson told the Times Online.

The facility claims to be first of its kind to offer such a treatment, but another center in England—the Broadway Lodge— also offers a service for game addiction.

The hospital declined to disclose the cost of the treatment program.

Two tests are available on the Capio Nightingale Hospital website to determine possible addictions to technology and alcohol (Ed. I scored 5 and 4 respectively).

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Comments

Re: UK Facility Offers Technology Addiction Treatment

Submitted by nefermore on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 14:29.

Its all about the agency adapting to a changing world so that said mental health services can remain valuable to the public. They might better serve though if what they offered was life balance with self discipline and limit setting just generally.

Social networking is a natural instinct of our species so anything that keeps people in that loop with be a natural addiction.

Re: UK Facility Offers Technology Addiction Treatment

Submitted by CyberSkull on Thu, 03/18/2010 - 13:53.

Here's your problem right here (emphasis mine):

Mental health services need to adapt quickly to the changing worlds that young people inhabit, and understand just how seriously their lives can be impaired by unregulated time online, on-screen or in-game.

Perhaps parents should learn how to set limits?

Shout box

prh99: Also there is no story in rational and respectful discussion (where you can find it).10/19/2014 - 10:44am

prh99: Well they are probably doing it on Twitter and probably the GG hashtag so any voice reason gets drowned out by idiocy. Also it's far easier to broad brush a group.10/19/2014 - 10:41am

Wonderkarp: dont fool yourself, Technogeek. Remember Mass Effect 3? How about the ferver against Phil Fish?10/19/2014 - 10:18am

MechaTama31: None of which is the fault or responsibility of the people who are not trolling, harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. So why is their opinion hostage to the people who are?10/19/2014 - 10:06am

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

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