Shanghai plans to set up its first full-time psychological hospital to deal with young Internet addicts through military exercises, and music classes later this year.

The hospital, which was initiated by the central committee of the Chinese Youth League, is expected to open in May and will offer teenage Internet addicts at least one-month of full-time psychological counseling and training.

"Our top task is using professional treatment methods to make those children realize their problem," said Wang Aiguo, the hospital's director.

About 13 percent of Chinese teenagers suffer from Internet addiction, according to the China Youth Association for Network Development. The association defines anyone who feels uncomfortable after a day away from a computer as being an addict.

Teenagers who are heavily addicted to the Internet don't care about anything but logging onto a computer. Some are diagnosed with psychological problems that make it difficult to cope in the real world.

That worries parents who can do nothing as few specialized institutes in the market offer systematic training for these children, Wang said.

The hospital hopes to enroll 50 patients for its opening in May, each of whom will be charged 10,000 yuan (US$1,250), hospital officials said.

While the hospital will act as a school, it was registered as a medical facility to avoid running afoul of the country's compulsory education laws. The country's first hospital to treat Internet addiction was launched in Beijing.

(Shanghai Daily March 23, 2007)