Croatian psychiatrist Marijana Bras warns that loneliness and internet addiction will become major mental health problems. At the international congress in Zagreb, specialists will discuss the negative impact of uncontrolled Internet use on young people.
“People become anxious and depressed”, warns the psychiatrist in Croatia – Photo Archive
“Loneliness and internet addiction will be among the major mental health issues of this century”warned the Croatian psychiatrist Marijana Bras before the 12th International Congress dedicated to person-centered medicine, which opens on Thursday in Zagreb, informs the Croatian news agency Hina, according to Agerpres.
“We share the fate of the rest of the world. It is increasingly difficult to manage the situation we have reached because of the uncontrolled use of the Internet and because of the games that young people and children play on the computer. This topic, among others, will be discussed at the congress“, added the psychiatrist, who is also the president of the organizing committee.
She noted that new diagnoses have been established in modern psychiatry, caused by the negative influences of social media, fake news and living in virtual reality.
“The main problems in psychiatry are no longer depression and anorexia, but internet addiction, neurodevelopmental disorders, loneliness and psycho-oncology. We are facing a big change for which we must be prepared and answer the questions of how to control the use of the Internet by young people, how to ban it in schools, how to prevent them from viewing child pornography“highlighted the Croatian psychiatrist.
She pointed out that this week the World Health Organization suggested that internet addiction among young people should be tackled in the same way as tobacco addiction. In Croatia, however, there is still no plan to deal with this problem, and the number of young addicts is constantly increasing.
Loneliness among young people is increasing, with them isolating themselves from society and staying indoors for days on end. The phenomenon of extreme social isolation, called “hikikomori” in Japanese, was first identified in Japan in the late 1990s, meaning “retreat into the interior”.
More cases of ADHD
“People will become anxious and depression. Young people will develop ADHD, autism spectrum disorders because they live in a virtual world where they become addicted to social media, fake news and conspiracy theories. This topic will also be addressed during the congress”May Marijana Bras.
The congress takes place at the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health between October 3 and 5. It will include symposia dedicated not only to psychiatry, but also to comprehensive patient care. Topics covered will include the care of patients with sensory disorders, chronic non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, as well as the care of palliative patients, emphasizing a holistic approach to treatment.
