Nomophobia: Dependency on virtual environments or social phobia? A.L.S. King a,⇑ , A.M. Valença a,b , A.C.O. Silva a,c , T. Baczynski a , M.R. Carvalho d , A.E. Nardi e a Laboratory of Panic and Respiration (LABPR), Institute of Psychiatry (IPUB), University Federal of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and National Institute of Science Technology Translational Medicine (INCT-TM) (CNPq), Av. Venceslau Brás, 71 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-140, Brazil b Psychiatry and Mental Health Center of Medical Sciences, University Federal Fluminense (UFF), Brazil c Laboratory of Thanatology and Psychometrics, University Federal Fluminense (UFF), Brazil d Mental Health, Laboratory of Panic and Respiration (LABPR), Institute of Psychiatry (IPUB), University Federal of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and National Institute of Science Technology Translational Medicine (INCT-TM) (CNPq), Av. Venceslau Brás, 71 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-140, Brazil e Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Laboratory of Panic and Respiration (LABPR), University Federal of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and National Institute of Science Technology Translational Medicine (INCT-TM) (CNPq), Av. Venceslau Brás, 71 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-140, Brazil article info Article history: Available online 12 October 2012 Keywords: Dependency Anxiety Panic Phobia Behavior abstract Background: The increasing use of new technologies and virtual communication involving personal com- puters (PCs), tablets and mobile phones are causing changes in individuals’ daily habits and behavior. We report the case of an individual with social phobia who developed a dependency on communication through virtual environments (i.e., nomophobia), and used a PC as a form of relating to the outside world to reduce stress and to avoid direct social relations. Nomophobia refers to the discomfort or anxiety caused by the non-availability of a mobile phone, PC or any another virtual communication device. Social phobia is described as an anxiety disorder of chronic evolution. Objective: To study nomophobia as a manifest behavior that might serve as an indication of a possible anxiety disorder. Methodology: The treatment consisted of the use of medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and the application of evaluation tools (interviews, scales, inventories and questionnaires). Results: The individual responded satisfactorily to medication and CBT treatment, which reduced his time using the PC and increased his exposure to real-life situations. Conclusion: Nomophobic behavior produces changes in daily habits and can reveal other aspects to be investigated, such as the presence of comorbid mental disorders. Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The psychological impact of the use of new technologies (Nicolaci-da-Costa, 2006) on individuals, groups and society at large is related to changes in behavior and habits, and should be further studied to better understand interactive effects with regard to learning, social cognition, personality and relationships. When we use the term ‘‘information technology’’, we are refer- ring to the diverse technologies that are used in exchanging expe- riences and information between an individual and the outside world through virtual environments. These technologies may in- clude personal computers (PCs), tablets and mobile phones (MPs). According to one of the leading analysts of the Internet’s revo- lutionary impact, these technologies complement each other to generate the ‘‘space of flows’’ (Castel, 2000), which he describes as the characteristic space of today. An analysis of individuals’ communication (King, Valença, & Nardi, 2010) by means of these modern devices revealed certain acquired habits, including ‘‘good and bad’’ feelings, symptoms and emotions that call for additional investigation. Some of the ‘‘good’’ aspects of these habits are convenience, comfort and avail- ability, while some of the ‘‘bad’’ aspects are pathological depen- dency, fear and anxiety as result of not being able to use modern devices. In our ambulatory attendance (Laboratory of Panic and Respira- tion (LABPR), 1997), we have observed that patients with anxiety disorder complain, of nervousness, anxiety, anguish, perspiration and trembling, among other things, related to their need to have certain devices on hand (i.e., MP and PC). At certain moments, 0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.025 Abbreviations: CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; IPUB, Institute of Psychiatry; LABPR, Laboratory of Panic and Respiration; MP, mobile phone; MPs, mobile phones; OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder; PC, personal computer; PCs, personal computers; PD, panic disorder; SPD, social phobia disorder; UFRJ, University Federal of Rio de Janeiro. ⇑ Corresponding author. Address: Rua, Almirante Gomes Pereira, 8 (casa), Urca, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) CEP 22291-170, Brazil. Tel.: +55 21 22954477/92191233. E-mail address: annaluciaking@gmail.com (A.L.S. King). Computers in Human Behavior 29 (2013) 140–144 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh