Intervention of Internet Addiction and Smartphone Addiction: an Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Purposeof ReviewThe prevalence of internet addiction and smartphone addiction has become a widespread global concern. Many studies have evaluated the impact of different interventions on these conditions; however, there is still a lack of integration of higher-level evidence. This review aims to assess the current evidence base of systematic reviews on the impact of different interventions on internet and smartphone addiction.Recent FindingsA total of 33 systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included in this review. The interventions were categorized into six main categories: psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, sports interventions, internet-based interventions, other types of interventions, and multicomponent interventions. Our analysis revealed that psychotherapy, sports interventions, and multicomponent interventions demonstrated substantial evidence of effectiveness in reducing internet addiction levels. Pharmacotherapy, other types of interventions, and internet-based interventions also showed promising results, but the evidence was inconsistent or limited. However, the evidence on the treatment of smartphone addiction was limited and of lower quality.SummaryThe practical value of the identified interventions remains unclear due to the heterogeneity of reported outcomes and the lack of high-quality evidence. Further high-quality randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal interventions for internet and smartphone addiction.