Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses' Exposure to Clients With Problematic Internet Experiences: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study.

The current study explored the type and number of problematic Internet experiences (PIE) encountered by psychiatric-mental health nurses (PMHN) in clinical practice and analyzed PMHNs' clinical cases of clients with PIE. A mixed-methods quantitative survey with a qualitative component measured the types and number of PIE cases via a descriptive survey and derived themes using narrative inquiry methodology from written case descriptions. A sample of 16 PMHNs provided quantitative data and nine participants summarized clinical cases. PMHNs reported 92 adult and 33 child cases of PIE. Six themes were derived from the narrative data: (a) searching for pornography; (b) developing online romantic relationships; (c) online gaming is ruining my life; (d) spending excessive time on the Internet; (e) coming to terms with online sexual behaviors and addiction; and (f) cyberbullying. Implications for PMHN practice include the need for further assessment and intervention as PIE increase in the future.
(Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.)