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Compulsive use of the Internet may be a serious condition along the lines of substance abuse and impulse-control disorders, U.S. researchers say.

In a new telephone-based study, Stanford University researchers found that more than one out of eight Americans showed at least one possible sign of problematic Internet use. The study is aimed at helping sort out the debate about whether problematic Internet use merits a medical diagnosis.

The latest survey follows previous, less rigorous reviews which have also suggested at least some people may be suffering from a form of Internet addiction.

“We often focus on how wonderful the Internet is — how simple and efficient it can make things,” lead author Dr. Elias Aboujaoude said in the report.

“But we need to consider the fact that it creates real problems for a subset of people.”

Dr. Aboujaoude also said a small but growing number of people are now starting to visit doctors to seek help. As well, he noted that the compulsive drive to check e-mail, make blog entries or visit chat rooms isn't that different from what people who suffer from substance abuse or impulse-control disorders experience.

According to preliminary research, the typical affected individual is a single, college-educated white male in his 30s, who spends about 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use.

The Stanford study didn't track where people where going on the Internet, but Dr. Aboujaoude said previous reviews have suggested problem sites go beyond those offering pornography and on-line gambling. Shopping sites, chat rooms and special-interest Web sites have also been cited as areas of excessive Internet use.

The Stanford study is the first large-scale, random sample epidemiological review. A total of 2,513 adults in the United States were interviewed for the study.

Researchers found that 68.9 per cent were regular internet users, a figure consistent with other studies. However, 13.7 per cent said they found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time; 12.4 per cent stayed on-line longer than they intended; 12.3 per cent had a need to cut back on Internet use; 8.2 per cent said they used the Internet as a way to escape problems and 5.9 per cent felt their relationship suffered because of excessive Internet use.

Researchers said the next step is to conduct comprehensive clinical interviews on a large sample of people to help understand excessive Internet use and whether the phenomenon constitutes an independent psychological disorder.