Journey to the East: a focused review of online mental health research in East Asia

Abstract

Introduction Despite the population and connectivity of many countries in East Asia, its voice has not been fully explored in the ongoing global conversations around mental health and online behavior. To bring the research that currently exists to international attention while identifying areas where additional research can be done, the current systematic/focused review was conducted. Methods Using the PRISMA methodology, we gathered over 1500 articles and ultimately reviewed 54 articles crossing multiple disciplines and languages (English, Korean, and Japanese). Results The present work identifies key regional patterns in terms of topics covered and methodologies employed, noting that there is a major focus on addiction and general negative framing around online behavior. Broader research themes identified include Internet Gaming Disorder/Addiction (IGD), social media, internet, and smartphone addictions, clinical diagnoses and detection methodologies, as well as body and identity. Discussion Mental health research in many parts of East Asia is negatively framed, irrespective of language of publication. Though cultural factors are likely to be at play, the present work would suggest that significant investment of time and personnel needs to be made in examining positive care using technology as opposed to focusing heavily on technology’s dangers.