  The issue of Internet addiction has become a serious social and health issue
in East Asian countries. There are only a few treatment programs for Internet
addiction, and their effectiveness with people from East Asian remains unclear.
As support and treatment develop, it is necessary to understand cultural
preferences for dealing with this concern. Using data from the East Asian
Social Survey (EASS), this study examined preferred sources of assistance for
help with internet use problems in four countries - China, Japan, South Korea,
and Taiwan. Preferences for kin versus non-kin support, use of alternative
medicine, and professional mental health assistance were examined, as were
between-country differences in support preferences. The results indicate a
strong preference for seeking assistance from close relatives, followed by
non-kin support (i.e., close friends and co-participants in religious
institutions), alternative medicine, and professional mental health services,
respectively. While there is a strong preference for family support, over 80%
of survey respondents were open to seeking formal or informal mental health
support outside the family. There were some significant differences between
countries, with South Koreans being more likely to seek non-kin support and
professional support for internet addiction concerns compared to Chinese. These
differences are discussed in the context of cultural and policy developments in
East Asian countries. Findings suggest the need for a more holistic approach to
treating low mental health concerns.
