Lin Y-H, Chiang C-L, Lin P-H, et al. (2016). Proposed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction. PLoS ONE. 11(11). PMCID: PMC5112893
Based on the criteria for substance use disorders (SUDs), internet addiction, and gaming addiction, the authors developed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction. Researchers proposed lists of diagnostic criteria in 3 areas: symptoms of smartphone addiction, functional impairment related to smartphone use, and exclusion criteria. The study detailed the selection of criteria from a list of 12 proposed symptoms of smartphone addiction. Researchers made clinical global impressions (CGIs) from interviews with 282 Taiwanese university students and rated 97 participants as having smartphone addiction. Researchers compared proposed criteria to CGI ratings for diagnostic accuracy. Researchers retained six criteria with high diagnostic accuracy (70.1-76.5%); inability to resist impulses to use a smartphone, withdrawal, longer than intended use, persistent desire to use and inability to reduce use, excessive time spent using or attempting to reduce use, and continued use despite knowledge of maladaptive behavior. Researchers found maximum diagnostic accuracy (84.3%) with a cutoff of three. Functional impairment included physical or psychological problems resulting from use, use in dangerous situations or other negative impacts on life, effects on social life and academic or job performance, and distress from use. Exclusion criteria included obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar I disorder.