Case Study: The Internet as a Development Tool in an Adolescent Boy with Psychosis

• NCJ Number: 209151
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 44 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 187-190
• Author(s): Melita L. Daley M.D.; Daniel F. Becker M.D.; Lois T. Flaherty M.D.; Gordon Harper M.D.; Robert A. King M.D.; Patricia Lester M.D.; Nada Milosavljevic M.D.; Silvio J. Onesti M.D.; Nancy Rappaport M.D.; Mary Schwab-Stone M.D.
• Date Published: February 2005
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents a case study illustrating the positive effects of the Internet on a 15-year-old boy with refractory psychosis.

Abstract

The Internet has quickly become an important element of teen culture. Despite the potential for both positive and deleterious outcomes stemming from Internet use among teens, there remains little research on how the Internet impacts adolescent development. This case study describes the positive influence of the Internet for a 15-year-old boy with a history of neurological illness accompanied by refractory psychosis. The case involved Mark, a boy with seizures and psychosis who, as a result of his condition, was home schooled and frequently hospitalized, thus socially isolating him from peers outside his family. The use of the computer reportedly calmed the psychosis at times and allowed an outlet for socializing with peers without actual physical proximity. Mark made friends on the Internet, designed Web sites, and participated in a virtual pet Web site. The social connections made via the Internet proved invaluable to Mark’s stabilization and improvement. Since the Internet also holds potentially deleterious influences for teens, future research should evaluate the contexts in which the Internet is both positive and negative for teen development. References