Cross-Cultural Examination of Problematic Internet Use and Associated Psychological Variables: A Comparative Study in Italy, Spain, Ecuador, and Peru.

Background: Several studies focused on the escalating prevalence of Problematic Use of Internet (PUI) and its consequential impact on mental health globally. This study investigates the relationship between PUI and associated psychological variables across different cultural contexts in Italy, Spain, Ecuador, and Peru. Method: A total of 675 participants, aged 18 to 54 (M = 22.73; SD = 4.05), completed measures assessing Internet addiction, social media addiction, Fear of Missing Out, Internet Gaming Disorder, and Phubbing. Results: Significant cultural variations were found, with Italian participants showing higher levels of Internet addiction but lower levels of social media addiction compared to other countries. Fear of Missing Out was higher in Italy, while the Italian sample exhibited lower Internet Gaming Disorder levels compared to Peru. As regards the communication disturbance caused by Phubbing, the Italian sample demonstrated significantly higher scores than the Peruvian sample. Linear regression analyses revealed distinct predictors for problematic Internet use in each country, emphasizing the importance of considering the cultural context in understanding this phenomenon. Conclusions: These findings contribute valuable insights into the interplay of cultural factors, psychological variables, and problematic Internet use, guiding future research and interventions.

A Systematic Review of Pharmacological Treatments for Internet Gaming Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an increasingly common behavioral addiction, with an estimated global prevalence of 3%. A variety of pharmacological treatments have been used to treat IGD, yet no review to date has synthesized clinical trials evaluating their efficacy. This systematic review therefore synthesized the literature reporting on clinical trials of pharmacological treatments for IGD. METHODS: We reviewed articles from MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed Central, CINAHL, and PsycINFO that were published as of March of 2022. A total of 828 articles were retrieved for review and 12 articles were included, reporting on a total of 724 participants. RESULTS: Most participants were male (98.6%), and all were currently living in South Korea. The most common drugs used to treat IGD were bupropion, methylphenidate, and a range of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The Young Internet Addiction Scale was the most frequently used to measure gaming-related outcomes. All studies reported reduced symptoms of IGD from pre- to post-treatment. Across all clinical trials, IGD symptom reductions following the administration of pharmacological treatments ranged from 15.4% to 51.4%. A risk of bias assessment indicated that only four studies had a low risk of bias. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggest that a wide array of pharmacological interventions may be efficacious in the treatment of IGD. Future studies using double-blind randomized controlled trial designs, recruiting larger and more representative samples, and controlling for psychiatric comorbidities are needed to better inform understanding of pharmacological treatments for IGD.

Prevalence of internet gaming disorder and its psychological correlates / Prevalência do transtorno do jogo pela internet e seus correlatos psicológicos

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms in a sample of Brazilian adults, and its association with personality, psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial measures. Methods We evaluated 219 adults online recruited using questionnaires and psychometric scales. We evaluated the behavior and pattern of internet games using the Game Addiction Scale (GAS). We tested the association of the previous measures with the GAS scores by spearman correlations and multiple regression analysis. Results Of our sample, 74% played games online. We found correlations between IGD symptoms and most symptoms of mental disorders, with small or moderate effect sizes, as well as correlations with the personality traits of agreeableness (r = -0.272; p < 0.001), conscientiousness (r = - 0.314; p < 0.001), and neuroticism (r = 0.299; p < 0.001). Additionally, we found a negative association with psychosocial outcomes such as quality of life (r = -0.339; p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (r = - 0.202; p < 0.003). The multivariate model included the personality traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness and symptoms of dissociation and somatization as predictors. The prevalence of IGD was 9% in those who played online games. Conclusion IGD is correlated with different areas of the individual's life, such as personality, quality of life, and several common symptoms of mental disorders. The prevalence can be considered high among players (9%). Conscientiousness, agreeability, somatic symptoms, and dissociative symptoms were associated with the symptoms of IGD.

RESUMO Objetivo Investigar a prevalência de sintomas do transtorno do jogo pela internet (TJI) em uma amostra de adultos brasileiros e sua associação com personalidade, sintomas psiquiátricos e medidas psicossociais. Métodos Avaliamos 219 adultos recrutados on-line por meio de questionários e escalas psicométricas. Avaliamos o comportamento e o padrão dos jogos na internet usando a Game Addiction Scale (GAS). Testamos a associação das medidas anteriores com as pontuações na GAS por meio de correlações de Spearman e análise de regressão múltipla. Resultados De nossa amostra, 74% jogavam jogos on-line. Encontramos correlações entre sintomas do TJI e a maioria dos sintomas de transtornos mentais, com tamanhos de efeito pequenos ou moderados, bem como correlações com os traços de personalidade de amabilidade (r = -0,272; p < 0,001), conscienciosidade (r = - 0,314; p < 0,001) e neuroticismo (r = 0,299; p < 0,001). Além disso, encontramos uma associação negativa com resultados psicossociais, como qualidade de vida (r = -0,339; p < 0,001) e satisfação com a vida (r = - 0,202; p < 0,003). O modelo multivariado incluiu os traços de personalidade de conscienciosidade e amabilidade e sintomas de dissociação e somatização como preditores. A prevalência de TJI foi de 9% entre os que jogavam jogos on-line. Conclusão O TJI está correlacionado com diferentes áreas da vida do indivíduo, como personalidade, qualidade de vida e vários sintomas comuns de transtornos mentais. A prevalência pode ser considerada alta entre os jogadores (9%). Conscienciosidade, amabilidade, sintomas somáticos e sintomas dissociativos estavam associados aos sintomas do TJI.

The role of executive function deficits, delay aversion and emotion dysregulation in internet gaming disorder and social media disorder: Links to psychosocial outcomes.

Background and aims: It has been argued that it is important to consider underlying mechanisms of mental health problems. Previous studies have shown that executive deficits, delay aversion, and emotion dysregulation are related to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Social Media Disorder (SMD). However, the present study is the first to investigate whether these neuropsychological deficits show additive effects or if they interact. The present study also investigated whether these deficits mediate the association between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: The study involved 995 university students who completed a survey measuring IGD/SMD symptom severity, neuropsychological functions, and psychosocial outcomes. Both dimensional and categorical analyses were used to assess the associations between neuropsychological functions and IGD/SMD. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine if neuropsychological functioning mediates the association between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. Results: All neuropsychological functions were significantly associated with both IGD and SMD symptom severity. However, only inhibition and emotion regulation, as well as delay aversion for SMD, remained significant when controlling for the overlap between different functions. Associations were significantly stronger for men compared to women for IGD. In the categorical analyses, individuals with IGD/SMD were more likely to have neuropsychological deficits (odds ratios between 3.33 and 8.81). Finally, all neuropsychological functions, except inhibition, were significant mediators in the link between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. Discussion and conclusions: These results shed light on the neuropsychological underpinnings of IGD/SMD, which can be used to identify more homogenous subgroups and provide more individualized treatment options.

Internet Gaming Disorder Does Not Predict Mood, Anxiety or Substance Use Disorders in University Students: A One-Year Follow-Up Study.

We seek to evaluate whether Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) among university students in Mexico during their first year at university predicts a long list of mental disorders a year later, controlling for baseline mental health disorders as well as demographics. This is a prospective cohort study with a one-year follow-up period conducted during the 2018-2019 academic year and followed up during the 2019-2020 academic year at six Mexican universities. Participants were first-year university students (n = 1741) who reported symptoms compatible with an IGD diagnosis at entry (baseline). Outcomes are seven mental disorders (mania, hypomania, and major depressive episodes; generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder; alcohol use disorder and drug use disorder), and three groups of mental disorders (mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders) at the end of the one-year follow-up. Fully adjusted models, that included baseline controls for groups of mental disorders, rendered all associations null. The association between baseline IGD and all disorders and groups of disorders at follow-up was close to one, suggesting a lack of longitudinal impact of IGD on mental disorders. Conflicting results from available longitudinal studies on the role of IGD in the development of mental disorders warrant further research.

Mental health and behavioral problems associated with video game playing among Brazilian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The problematic use of video games is linked to mental health and behavioral problems among adolescents. World reported averages for problematic use range from 1.3% to 19.3%. This is the first study to investigate these problems among Brazilian adolescents. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of the non-problematic and problematic use of video games among Brazilian adolescents, and to assess mental health and behavioral problems associated with both types of use. METHODS: This study used the baseline data of a cluster randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of the school-based program #Tamojunto2.0. The sample included 3,939 eighth-grade students who answered an anonymous self-report questionnaire. Video game use was investigated through a question, and problematic use was assessed using a scale. Weighted logistic regressions were used to investigate the associated factors. RESULTS: The results show that 85.85% of the children reported playing video games in the past year, 28.17% fulfilled our criteria for problematic use. Non-problematic video game use is associated with being male, younger ages, and bullying perpetration. Problematic video game use is associated with being male, tobacco and alcohol use, bullying perpetrators, and bullying victims, with abnormal levels of hyperactivity/inattention, social behavior problems, conduct problems, peer relationship problems, and emotional symptoms. CONCLUSION: Brazilian adolescents' self-reported use of video games is compatible with the world average, but the percentage of those who showed problematic use is higher than the world average. This study demonstrates the need for investigating how to prevent and intervene in this situation.

Trastorno por juego en Internet: ¿Existen diferencias en cuanto al género? / Internet gaming disorder: ¿Are there any gender differences?

La evidencia para el diagnóstico y el manejo del trastorno por juego en Internet está creciendo. Factores psicológicos y biológicos están involucrados en su etiopatogenia y estos factores pueden presentar diferentes niveles de contribución al trastorno dependiendo del género del paciente. Teniendo en cuenta que la tasa de individuos masculinos en comparación con la tasa femenina en el trastorno por juego en Internet es de aproximadamente 3:1 y que la mayoría de los estudios disponibles se realizan en poblaciones predominantemente masculinas, se realizó una revisión narrativa, no sistemática, centrada en literatura primaria y seleccionada de una búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed y SciELO. Los términos clave que se utilizaron fueron los siguientes: "Internet Gaming Disorder" y "Internet Gaming Disorder and Gender". Todos los miembros del equipo de investigación participaron en la revisión de la literatura. Todo lo anterior se realizó a fin de presentar una imagen general sobre las diferencias de género en los juegos en línea, que pueda servir para mejorar los conocimientos de los trabajadores de la salud mental sobre este desafiante grupo de pacientes.

The body of evidence for Internet Gaming Disorder is growing. Both psychological and biological factors are involved in its etiopathogenesis and these factors may present different levels of contribution to the disorder depending on the gender of the patient. Taking into account that the rate of male individuals compared with the female rate in the Internet Gaming Disorder is about 3:1 and that most of the available studies are done in predominantly male populations, a non-systematic narrative review was done, focused on primary literature and selected from a search in PubMed and SciELO databases. The key terms used were: "Internet gaming disorder" and "Internet gaming disorder and gender". All members of the research team participated in the review of the literature. All the above was done in order to present a general picture about gender differences in online games, which can be used to improve the knowledge of mental health workers about this challenging group of patients.

Development and psychometric validation of Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) in a Brazilian sample.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in a sample of Brazilian gamers and to find the best cut-off point for this instrument using a normative and clinically diagnosed sample of gamers. METHODS: A total of 610 participants were recruited to the present study. Construct validity was assessed through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA, CFA). Criterion-related validity was established through the associations with Game Addiction Scale (GAS) and weekly gameplay. Reliability analysis was performed using the Cronbach's alpha (α) as the indicator of internal consistency. A cut-off point was estimated using the Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC curve) where the results of a clinical assessment was used as the gold standard. RESULTS: EFA and CFA findings confirmed the single-factor structure of the IGDS9-SF. Positive correlations indicated adequate criterion-related validity, and the scale was shown to be reliable (α=0.82). Finally, the optimal cut-off point for risky gaming was found to be >16 points and for diagnosis to be >21 points. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides validity and reliability evidence for the use of the Brazilian version of the IGDS9-SF in the assessment of Internet Gaming Disorder, further supporting its usefulness as a robust psychometric tool that can be employed in clinical and research settings in Brazil.

Internet and video game addictions: a cognitive behavioral approach / Dependência de Internet e de jogos eletrônicos: um enfoque cognitivo-comportamental

Background: While several benefits are attributed to the Internet and video games, an important proportion of the population presents symptoms related to possible new technological addictions and there has been little discussion of treatment of problematic technology use. Although demand for knowledge is growing, only a small number of treatments have been described. Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the literature, to establish Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a possible strategy for treating Internet and video game addictions. Method: The review was conducted in the following databases: Science Direct on Line, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Clinical Trials Library, BVS and SciELO. The keywords used were: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; therapy; treatment; with association to the terms Internet addiction and video game addiction. Given the scarcity of studies in the field, no restrictions to the minimum period of publication were made, so that articles found until October 2013 were accounted. Results: Out of 72 articles found, 23 described CBT as a psychotherapy for Internet and video game addiction. The manuscripts showed the existence of case studies and protocols with satisfactory efficacy. Discussion: Despite the novelty of technological dependencies, CBT seems to be applicable and allows an effective treatment for this population.

Contexto: Enquanto diversos benefícios são atribuídos à Internet e aos jogos eletrônicos, uma importante parcela da população apresenta sintomas relacionados a possíveis novas dependências tecnológicas, e pouca discussão tem ocorrido sobre o tratamento do uso problemático de tecnologia. Embora a demanda por conhecimento esteja crescendo, apenas um pequeno número de tratamentos tem sido descrito. Objetivo: Conduzir uma revisão sistemática da literatura e estabelecer a Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental (TCC) como uma estratégia possível para o tratamento da dependência de Internet e de jogos eletrônicos. Método: A revisão foi conduzida nos seguintes bancos de dados: Science Direct on Line, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Clinical Trials Library, BVS e SciELO. As palavras-chave utilizadas foram: Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental; terapia; tratamento; com associação aos termos Dependência de Internet e dependência de jogos eletrônicos. Dada a escassez de estudos no campo, não foram feitas restrições quanto ao período mínimo de publicação, de modo que os artigos encontrados até outubro de 2013 foram contabilizados. Resultados: Dos 72 artigos encontrados, 23 descreveram a TCC como uma psicoterapia para a dependência de Internet e de jogos eletrônicos. Os manuscritos mostraram a existência de estudos de caso e protocolos com eficácia satisfatória. Conclusões: Apesar da novidade das dependências tecnológicas, a TCC parece ser aplicável e permite um tratamento eficaz para esta população.