[Differences between adolescents with pathological Internet use in inpatient and outpatient treatment]. / Unterschiede zwischen Jugendlichen mit pathologischem Internetgebrauch in ambulanter und stationärer kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischer Behandlung.

Objective: In epidemiological studies high prevalence estimates for pathological Internet use in adolescence were reported. There are only few studies published, reporting data of adolescents seeking treatment concerning their pathological Internet use. Currently, a comparison of patients in inpatient versus outpatient treatment is not available. Method: We investigated 74 adolescents reporting pathological Internet use with standardized questionnaires concerning problematic Internet use, psychopathological symptoms and life satisfaction. Overall, 35 adolescents were treated in an outpatient and another 39 adolescents in an inpatient setting. Results: A substantial portion in both groups showed comorbid mental health problems. There were no differences in the degree of problematic Internet use between the two groups. However, compared to adolescents in an outpatient setting, adolescents in inpatient treatment reported longer average Internet usage times, a lower life satisfaction as well as more anxiety/depressiveness and self-esteem problems. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis Internet usage time and life satisfaction were identified as statistically significant factors for the affiliation to one of the two treatment groups. Conclusions: The results of the present study could be useful as a further description of this group of patients and more general to develop interventions for adolescents reporting pathological Internet use.

[Pilot study on the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural group programme for adolescents with pathological internet use]. / Pilotstudie zur Effektivität eines kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen Gruppenprogramms mit psychoedukativen Anteilen für Jugendliche mit pathologischem Internetgebrauch.

Excessive Internet use and its severe form, pathological internet use, are currently increasing in many industrial nations in Asia, North America and Europe. According to recent epidemiological studies pathological internet use occurs more frequently in youth than in adults. In Germany between 4 and 6% of the adolescents use the internet in a pathological way. Only few studies have investigated therapeutic interventions and their effectiveness in affected adolescents. In this pilot study, we surveyed over a period of 15 months all minor participants (aged up to 17) of a cognitive behavioural group programme at the beginning and at the end of the treatment (pre-post design) with standardized questionnaires (CIUS, SPS-J). At the second point of measurement the adolescents (n = 18, 75 percent retention rate) reported a significantly lower severity of problematic internet use as well as reduced average usage times during the week and at the weekend. No changes were revealed in psychological well-being of the youth. The results of this pilot study indicate positive effects of a cognitive behavioural group programme with psychoeducative elements in the treatment of youth affected by pathological internet use.

Why we haven't died out yet: changes in women's mimic reactions to visual erotic stimuli during their menstrual cycles.

From an evolutionary point of view, female sexual desire contributes greatly to the success of reproduction by coordinating sexual behavior. It is known that female sexual desire fluctuates with the menstrual cycle. However, little is known about the role of basic emotions during menstrual cycle. We designed a facial EMG study to investigate facial expressions of joy during the menstrual cycle. 35 healthy women underwent 2 EMG sessions (T1 and T2). T1 took place in the follicular phase, T2 in the luteal phase. IAPS pictures of nude men (erotic stimuli) or of animals (control stimuli) were presented at both sessions. The activity of musculus zygomaticus major (responsible for expressing joy) was measured. We tested the hypothesis that zygomaticus activity is more pronounced in the follicular phase than in the luteal phase. The main result was that during the follicular phase, significantly more zygomaticus reactions were observed than during the luteal phase. This effect was restricted only to erotic stimuli. We concluded that an increased positive emotional responsiveness to erotic stimuli during the follicular phase is an important precondition for the probability of sexual activity during the conceptive days and thus for the success of reproduction.

Effects of the premenstrual syndrome on facial expressions of sadness.

UNLABELLED: This study examined the relationship between PMS and emotion-related electromyographic facial activity at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Twenty-four women of reproductive age (12 with PMS, 12 controls) participated in two EMG sessions (T1 and T2) in which they were shown photographic images that can elicit various emotions (IAPS stimuli). T1 took place in the follicular phase, T2 in the luteal phase. The activity of the musculus depressor anguli oris ("depressor", expression of sadness) was measured. Depressor activity was compared to activity of musculus orbicularis oculi ("orbicularis"; expression of joy). ANOVA yielded a significant increase of the activity of the depressor at T2 in the PMS group. The PMS group showed more frequent depressor activity during the luteal than the follicular phase. Orbicularis activity did not change from T1 to T2. CONCLUSIONS: The PMS group experienced various visual stimuli in a more depressed way during the luteal phase.