Abnormal brain activity in adolescents with Internet addiction who attempt suicide: an assessment using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Internet addiction is associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior and can lead to brain dysfunction among adolescents.However,whether brain dysfunction occurs in adolescents with Internet addiction who attempt suicide remains unknown.This observational cross-sectional study enrolled 41 young Internet addicts,aged from 15 to 20 years,from the Department of Psychiatry,the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,China from January to May 2018.The participants included 21 individuals who attempted suicide and 20 individuals with Internet addiction without a suicidal attempt history.Brain images in the resting state were obtained by a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner.The results showed that activity in the gyrus frontalis inferior of the right pars triangularis and the right pars opercularis was significantly increased in the suicidal attempt group compared with the non-suicidal attempt group.In the resting state,the prefrontal lobe of adolescents who had attempted suicide because of Internet addiction exhibited functional abnormalities,which may provide a new basis for studying suicide pathogenesis in Internet addicts.The study was authorized by the Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University,China(approval No.2017 Scientific Research Ethics(2017-157))on December 11,2017.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents–A Nationwide Study in Malaysia

Smartphone ownership among adolescents is getting common in this decade especially in Malaysia;Adolescent are strongly devoted to their smartphone and this may lead to smartphone addiction.Studies have reported that smartphone addiction has become an emerging social and health problem especially among the youth in many countries however there is lack of study among adolescents in Malaysia.This study aimed to examine the prevalence and factors associated with smartphone addiction among adolescents in Malaysia.This was a cross-sectional study involving adolescents from 15 primary care clinics throughout the country.Respondents were assessed on their smartphone activities using the Malaysian short version of the Smartphone addiction scale(SAS-M-SV).Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of smartphone addiction among adolescents.The study was conducted among 921 adolescents with 49.6%male(n=457).The mean age of adolescents was 16.4±2.4 years.The ethnicity distribution were 74.6%Malay,7.3%Chinese,4.7%Indian and 13.4%other ethnicities.The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 37.1%(342/921);37.4%in male and 36.9%in female.Based on multiple logistic regression analysis,longer duration of smartphone use per week was associated with higher odds of smartphone addiction among adolescent(odd ratio=1.005%,95%confidence interval=1.000–1.009,p-value=0.039).Smartphone addiction is present in nearly four in ten adolescents in Malaysia.Adolescents who spend longer duration in smartphone usage per week were associated with higher odds of having smartphone addiction.Parents should be more alert and vigilant about this finding.Hence,parents should limit their children from spending too much of time with smartphone in order to prevent their children from getting smartphone addiction.

Establishment of the Initial Sandplay Picture System for Chinese Young Internet Addicts: Based on Valence Assessment of Normal Adolescents

To develop the initial sandplay picture system for Chinese young internet addicts (ISPSCYIA) for the diagnosis and testing studies on internet addiction, 22 pictures were selected from the used pictures of initial sandplay in existing research results of initial sandplay of Chinese young Internet addicts. 54 normal adolescents were recruited to evaluate the valence of the pictures on a nine-point scale in terms of clarity, pleasure and arousal. Results were shown that there were no significant differences between addiction pictures and non-addiction pictures in clarity, while there were significant differences in pleasure and arousal, as the scores of non-addiction pictures were higher. Correlation analysis indicated that there was obvious positive correlation among clarity, pleasure and arousal of addiction pictures & non-addiction pictures. The coefficients of internal consistency reliability and split-half reliability of 22 pictures’ scores exhibited both over 0.90. ISPSCYIA has proved typical and distinctive through valence assessment, which could be preliminarily applied to measure the characteristics of Chinese adolescents’ internet addiction.

Psychological Analysis of Adolescent Internet Addiction

The rapid development of the network had a huge psychological impact on people＇ s life, ideas, and especially makes prominent phenomenon of mental disorder with the network, it has become attention of sociology, psychology, research of clinical industry. In recent years, research on the phenomenon of Internet addiction focused on qualitative descriptions and study of the theoretical phenomenon, their research focused on the popularity of the first network, the U.S. conducted the most extensive study and makes more online survey. China started this study later, and lack of systematic research on the network psychology, which just mostly understanding the aspect of the phenomenon and countermeasures of stating intemet addiction, or to explore from a single aspect （such as： age, gender, etc.）, it lack of theoretical studies of the psychological mechanisms and motives behind the addictive behavior on the network.

Internet addiction and problematic Internet use: A systematic review of clinical research

AIM: To provide a comprehensive overview of clinical studies on the clinical picture of Internet-use related addictions from a holistic perspective. A literature search was conducted using the database Web of Science.METHODS: Over the last 15 years, the number of Internet users has increased by 1000%, and at the same time, research on addictive Internet use has proliferated. Internet addiction has not yet been understood very well, and research on its etiology and natural history is still in its infancy. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association included Internet Gaming Disorder in the appendix of the updated version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders(DSM-5) as condition that requires further research prior to official inclusion in the main manual, with important repercussions for research and treatment. To date, reviews have focused on clinical and treatment studies of Internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder. This arguably limits the analysis to a specific diagnosis of a potential disorder that has not yet been officially recognised in the Western world, rather than a comprehensive and inclusive investigation of Internet-use related addictions(including problematic Internet use) more generally. RESULTS: The systematic literature review identified a total of 46 relevant studies. The included studies used clinical samples, and focused on characteristics of treatment seekers and online addiction treatment. Four main types of clinical research studies were identified, namely research involving(1) treatment seeker characteristics;(2) psychopharmacotherapy;(3) psychological therapy; and(4) combined treatment. CONCLUSION: A consensus regarding diagnostic criteria and measures is needed to improve reliability across studies and to develop effective and efficient treatment approaches for treatment seekers.

P300 change and cognitive behavioral therapy in subjects with Internet addiction disorder A 3-month follow-up study

Event-related potential studies of cognitive function in addiction behaviors have focused on the P300 event-related potential component. The current study investigated the association between P300 component and Internet addiction disorder. We found that individuals with Internet addiction disorder exhibited significantly longer P300 latencies than controls （N2： P = 0.035; P3a： P = 0.031 P3b： P = 0.043） and similar P300 amplitudes compared to control participants. After 3 months of cognitive behavioral therapy, P300 latencies decreased significantly in the P3a and P3b （P3a： P = 0.045; P3b： P = 0.062）. These results suggest that deficits in cognitive function may be involved in Internet addiction disorder, and that clinical psychological treatment may be effective.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of internet addiction in young adults

AIM: To report the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging(f MRI) studies pertaining internet addiction disorder(IAD) in young adults.METHODS: We conducted a systematic review on Pub Med, focusing our attention on f MRI studies involving adult IAD patients, free from any comorbid psychiatric condition. The following search words were used, both alone and in combination: f MRI, internet addiction, internet dependence, functional neuroimaging. The search was conducted on April 20^(th), 2015 and yielded 58 records. Inclusion criteria were the following: Articles written in English, patients' age ≥ 18 years, patients affected by IAD, studies providing f MRI results during resting state or cognitive/emotional paradigms. Structural MRI studies, functional imaging techniques other than f MRI, studies involving adolescents, patients with comorbid psychiatric, neurological or medical conditions were excluded. By reading titles and abstracts, we excluded 30 records. By reading the full texts of the 28 remaining articles, we identified 18 papers meeting our inclusion criteria and therefore included in the qualitative synthesis.RESULTS: We found 18 studies fulfilling our inclusion criteria, 17 of them conducted in Asia, and including a total number of 666 tested subjects. The included studies reported data acquired during resting state or different paradigms, such as cue-reactivity, guessing or cognitive control tasks. The enrolled patients were usually males(95.4%) and very young(21-25 years). The most represented IAD subtype, reported in more than 85% of patients, was the internet gaming disorder, or videogame addiction. In the resting state studies, the more relevant abnormalities were localized in the superior temporal gyrus, limbic, medial frontal and parietal regions. When analyzing the task related fmri studies, we found that less than half of the papers reported behavioral differences between patients and normal controls, but all of them found significant differences in cortical and subcortical brain regions involved in cognitive control and reward processing: Orbitofrontal cortex, insula, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, temporal and parietal regions, brain stem and caudate nucleus.CONCLUSION: IAD may seriously affect young adults' brain functions. It needs to be studied more in depth to provide a clear diagnosis and an adequate treatment.

Relationships of loneliness and mobile phone dependence with Internet addiction in Japanese medical students

We investigated factors contributing to Internet addiction in 105 Japanese medical students. The subjects were administered by a self-reporting questionnaire designed to evaluate demographic factors, Internet addiction, loneliness, health-related lifestyle factors, depressive state, patterns of behavior, and mobile phone dependence. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that loneliness and mobile phone dependence were positively related to degree of addiction. Our findings suggest that Internet addiction is associated with loneliness and mobile phone dependence in Japanese students.

Impact of Internet Literacy,Internet Addiction Symptoms on Quality of Life

As a country with the largest absolute number of Internet users in the world,China has witnessed that Internet addiction is becoming a prominent issue.Young adults like university students are particularly susceptible to the lure of the Internet,and they are described as being obsessed with the Internet.According to the latest report of the China Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC),netizens aged 20-29 have become the largest group of Internet users in China,accounting for 30.7%of the total Chinese netizens.Therefore,it is very important to study the Internet use and its influence among the young,since young people have become the main body of the Chinese Internet users.Focusing on the two essential factors closely related to Internet addiction as a risk,this study attempted to find out the interrelationships between Internet literacy,Internet addiction,and young people’s quality of life.As for research method,a paper-based survey was conducted to collect data and the final sample size was 1,000.The university student sample was created from a stratified sampling procedure with proportionate allocation among the nine universities in Dalian,a coast city in northeast China.Factor analyses showed different aspects of Internet literacy and various symptoms of Internet addiction among the university students.This study found that Internet addiction had some negative influences on the university students’quality of life.Moreover,the findings showed that Internet literacy has a significant influence on Internet addiction and quality of life among these young people.Basically,those university students with higher level of Internet literacy showed lower degree of Internet addiction and higher degree of quality of life.Therefore,in the future,more attention should be paid to education and activities in order to improve young people’s Internet literacy.The findings further enrich the literature of Internet addiction,Internet literacy,as well as quality of life,and are valuable for prevention,treatment,and recovery of Internet addiction among young people.Research on Internet addiction as an emerging risk in the Chinese context is of great research significance theoretically and practically,not only because Internet addiction is becoming a prominent issue in both China and many other societies,but also because it may act as a good case to study risk issue related to Internet,youth,and everyday life.The results can be used for future studies on Internet addiction,Internet literacy,and quality of life among other subpopulations or within other social contexts.

Comparisons of temperament and character between problematic internet users and problematic drug users in Korean adolescents

Objective: It has been suggested that some internet users spend so much time on the internet that their personal and/or professional lives suffer. This study compared the temperament and character of problematic internet users (PIU) with that of problematic drug users (PDU) among Korean adolescents and aimed to examine the personality characteristics of adolescents with internet use problems. Method: We enrolled participants from high schools (n = 487), internet cafés (n = 89), and an adolescent-substance abuse consultation office (n = 45). All subjects were assessed using the Korean Internet Addiction Scale (KIAS), the Korean Adolescent Drug Addiction Screening Test-2 (KOADAST-2), and the Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (K-TCI). Subjects were classified into the following four groups based on the KIAS and KOADAST-2 results: normal controls, pure PIUs, pure PDUs, and dual problematic users. Differences in the subscale scores on the K-TCI were analyzed by group. Results: Scores for Reward dependence (RD) were significantly lower in pure PIUs than in pure PDUs (13.85 ± 4.07 versus 15.44 ± 3.56, p < 0.05). Scores for Self-Directedness (SD) were lower in pure PIUs (18.21 ± 6.90) and pure PDUs (18.22 ± 6.03) than in normal controls (20.88 ± 6.60), although the scores did not differ significantly between pure PIUs and pure PDUs. Scores for Cooperativeness (C) were lower in pure PIUs than in normal controls (23.97 ± 7.02 versus 26.57 ± 6.67, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that PIUs are more socially insensitive and that they may experience more inter-personal problems than PDUs.

Decreased frontal lobe function in people with Internet addiction disorder

In our previous studies, we showed that frontal lobe and brainstem functions were abnormal in online game addicts. In this study, 14 students with Internet addiction disorder and 14 matched healthy controls underwent proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure cerebral function. Results demonstrated that the ratio of N-acetylaspartate to creatine decreased, but the ratio of cho- line-containing compounds to creatine increased in the bilateral frontal lobe white matter in people with Internet addiction disorder. However, these ratios were mostly unaltered in the brainstem, suggesting that frontal lobe function decreases in people with Internet addiction disorder.

Loneliness or Materialism, Which Is a Better Predictor of Internet Addiction?

In recent years, the widespread prevalence of loneliness, materialism, and Internet addiction have been widely studied. Studies have addressed either loneliness or materialism and its relationship with Internet addiction. However, to date, no study has addressed all three concepts in a single study. The purpose of this study was: 1) to investigate whether loneliness or materialism is a reliable predictor of Internet addiction and 2) what is the nature of the relationship among these variables across gender. Data were collected from a crosssectional online-survey, which consisted of US adults (N = 311). The survey consisted of 42 items related to the key constructs. Additionally, some demographic variables were also included in the survey. Loneliness was not associated with Internet addiction. On the other hand, materialism was strongly associated with Internet addiction. The aforementioned relationship was valid across gender. Between loneliness and materialism, materialism was a strong predictor of Internet addiction.

The Relationship between Internet Addiction and Cyberbullying Perpetration: A Moderated Mediation Model of Moral Disengagement and Internet Literacy

Internet addiction and cyberbullying have emerged as significant global mental health concerns in recent years.Although previous studies have shown a close association between Internet addiction and cyberbullying,the underlying mechanisms connecting these two phenomena remain unclear.Therefore,this study aimed to reveal the mechanisms involved between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration from the perspective of cognition function.This study recruited 976 Chinese youth through online survey,using the short version of Internet Addiction Test(s-IAT),Chinese Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire(C-CIPQ),Cyberbullying Moral Disengagement Scale(CMDS),and Internet Literacy Questionnaire(ILQ)to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction,moral disengagement,Internet literacy and cyberbullying perpetration.The keyfindings of this study were as follows:after controlling gender and age,(1)Internet addiction had a significant positive predictive effect on cyberbullying perpetration;(2)moral disengagement acted as a mediator between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration;and(3)Internet literacy played a moderating role between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration.In conclusion,there was a moderated mediating effect between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration,contributing to a better understanding of the relationship between these two phenomena.

Determinants of internet addiction among medical students in Casablanca: a cross-sectional study

Objective:This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and determinants of Internet addiction among medical students at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca,Morocco.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted among students at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Casablanca between October and March 2020.An online questionnaire was administered to students to collect data and internet addiction was assessed by the Young questionnaire.A score threshold≥50 was adopted to define addiction.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with internet addiction.Results:Out of a total of 4093 FMPC students enrolled in the 2020-2021 academic year,506 agreed to participate in this study,including 303 females and 203 males.The mean addiction score assessed on the Young scale was(49.08±16.11).The prevalence of Internet addiction was 44.5%(225/506,95% CI:40% to 49%).Multiple regression analysis showed that being older than 20 years(OR=0.17,95% CI:0.40 to 0.64),being female(OR=1.70,95% CI:1.04 to 2.78),being in the dissertation year(6th year)(OR=5.17,95% CI:2.23 to 11.44),having a history of psychiatric consultation(OR=2.64,95% CI:1.34 to 5.21),having divorced parents(OR=2.64,95% CI:1.05 to 5.87),use of sleeping medication(OR=2.9,95% CI:1.05 to 3.70),sleep disorders(OR=2.06,95% CI:1.25 to 3.79),sleep deprivation(OR=2.26,95% CI:1.39 to 3.65),excessive daytime sleepiness(OR=5.39,95% CI:2.19 to 13.24),anxiety disorders(OR=1.47,95% CI:1.18 to 2.30),duration of internet connection(>4 h)(OR=11.43,95% CI:4.85 to 27.66),and having frequent conflicts with parents(OR=2.37,95% CI:1.49 to 3.79)and friends(OR=0.26,95% CI:0.11 to 0.65)were independently associated with internet addiction.Conclusion:The prevalence of Internet addiction among medical students in Casablanca remains high.Targeted action on the determinants would be of great value in prevention.

Internet Addiction： Just Facebook Me! The Role of Social Networking Sites in Internet Addiction

Internet based social-networking sites like Facebook are highly attractive, user-friendly, and increasingly popular. Current estimates indicate over 750 million users of Facebook alone. However, Internet addiction is an increasing problem amongst today＇s youth and as yet, is understudied in the United States. This study looked at the relationship between this new social-networking tool and the increasing phenomenon of internet addiction symptoms using both a US college sample （age 19years） and a US high-school sample （age 14years）. Findings indicate that SNS （Social Networking Site） activity maybe more predictive of addictive behaviors than general internet use and that higher percents of symptomology occur in those users reporting SNS activity as their primary internet activity.

A Study on Left-behind Children's Communicative Willingness and Language Ability under the Influence of Internet Addiction--A Case Study of Zhejiang Province

This research studies the language communication barrier of left-behind children under the influence of Internet addiction.Leftbehind children aged 8-13 in primary school were taken as the research object.A total of 320 left-behind children from 10 primary schools in 5 regions of Zhejiang Province were selected as the research objects.In addition,30 primary school language teachers in Zhejiang Province were interviewed to explore the communicative willingness and language expression of left-behind children under the influence of"Internet addiction,"analyze the obstacle factors affecting the language communicative ability,and put forward corresponding opinions and suggestions.

Internet Addiction of College Students from the Psychological Perspective

With the rapid development of network, the phenomenon of Internet addiction is prevalent on campuses, which has produced a variety of negative effects on college students in terms of learning, living, working and so on. In recent years, there are many research literatures on Internet addiction overseas, covering all aspects of this psychological phenomenon. Moreover, domestic research on Internet addiction started late. In the light of the fact that college students do not have clear understanding on hazards of Interact addiction, it generally shows their self- control is poor. They do not believe they can control their behavior and results and give up taking responsibility for the results and tend to agree network identity. Based on this phenomenon, we propose the network psychological source control concept. In view of the close contact between the excessive use of the network and the individual time management, this study selected the time dimension of personality characteristics on Internet addiction as another influencing factor, and explored the integrated influence of the psychological source control to Internet addiction.

Increased internet addiction during COVID-19 pandemics

COVID-19 pandemics have affected the world.Lockdown and shutdown were implemented in different parts of the world to avoid human gathering.Physical distance and work from home are encouraged to prevent the further spread of the disease.Restriction on traveling and other social activities where there will be human gathering during the pandemic has increased the use of the internet.Computers and smartphones have become a platform for work and study and also to spend leisure time during the lockdown period.Using social sites on the internet has somehow decreased the stress and anxiety about COVID-19.But,Covid suspected or confirmed cases in the isolation and home quarantine spending excessive time online have developed an addiction towards the internet.

KAP Survey of Turkish University Students on Sexuality,reproductive Health,Drug Addiction and Violence

Objective To investigate the attitudes, behaviours and reflections of the university students, on sexuality, reproductive health, violence, smoking, alcohol and drug use, and to find out their expectations from a youth health service. Methods A total of 5 300 students （1 880 girls, 3 420 boys）from various Jaculties of Kyrykkale University were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. Students completed the self-administered questionnaire as one of the researchers was present at the classroom. Research monitors five categories of priority health-risk behaviours among youth and young adults. Results Mean age of 3 420 male （64.5%） and 1 880female （35.5%） students were 20.3 years. Among all 4 380 （82,9%） students [1 350 girls （71.8%）, 3 030 boys （88.5%）] had some kinds of information about sexuality, however this dropped to 2 730 students （51.5%） within the context of adequacy. Friends were the major source （34%） for the first information on sexuality. Using a condom was the mostly heard method of contraception （46.9%） and interestingly 1.1% of the students had no knowledge on any of the protection methods. Among all 25.3% of the students （33.0% boys, 11.4% girls） had some kind of sexual intercourse, and within this group 58.8% experienced his/her first sexual relationship at 18 years of age and over; 53.9% were protected in all intercourses. Using a condom was the main way of protection for boys （63.7%） and pills were for the girls （73.9%）. None of the female students mentioned having an abortion but 8% had friends who had undergone abortion. Tobacco use was 35.1% among the group, and 8. 7% of the male and 3.6% of the female students were using drugs. Although 67. 4% students claimed they never witnessed violence between their parents, 43.2% witnessed violence among their siblings, 67.0% beween friends, 72.6% in the streets and 64.2% in the school. About 30.0% of the students reported having weight problems, and 14.7% admitted visiting a doctor for that problem. If there would be a service providedfor the adolescents in the university, 67% of the students would attend in case of a problem. Past experiences were important for us and we saw that among all 8% of the participants had some kind of sexual problem, within this group 50.7% felt uncomfortable during the visit and only 60.4% were satisfied with the care of the physician. Conclusion Our study results show the current situation of adolescents in Kyrykkale University and will be used to improve policies and programs to reduce priority healthrisk behaviours among youth of our and surrounding provinces and establish a youth friendly service in Kyrykkale University within this purposes.