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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Increased regional homogeneity in internet addiction disorder： a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Background Internet addition disorder （lAD） is currently becoming a serious mental health problem among Chinese adolescents. The pathogenesis of lAD, however, remains unclear. The purpose of this study applied regional homogeneity （ReHo） method to analyze encephalic functional characteristic of lAD college students under resting state. Methods Functional magnetic resonanc image （fMRI） was performed in 19 lAD college students and 19 controls under resting state. ReHo method was used to analyze the differences between the average ReHo in two groups. Results The following increased ReHo brain regions were found in lAD group compared with control group： cerebellum, brainstem, right cingulate gyrus, bilateral parahippocampus, right frontal lobe （rectal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus）, left superior frontal gyrus, left precuneus, right postcentral gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. The decreased ReHo brain regions were not found in the lAD group compared with the control group. Conclusions There are abnormalities in regional homogeneity in lAD college students compared with the controls and enhancement of synchronization in most encephalic regions can be found. The results reflect the functional change of brain in lAD college students. The connections between the enhancement of synchronization among cerebellum, brainstem, limbic lobe, frontal lobe and apical lobe may be relative to reward pathways.

Effect of electro-acupuncture combined with psychological intervention on mental symptoms and P50 of auditory evoked potential in patients with internet addiction disorder

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture(EA) combined with psychological intervention on the symptom of somzatization or obsession and mental symptom of depression or anxiety and P50 of Auditory Evoked Potential(AEP) on internet addiction disorder(IAD).METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases of IAD were randomly divided into an EA group, a psycho-intervention(PI) group and a comprehensive therapy(EA plus PI) group. Patients in the EA group were treated with EA. Patients in the PI group were treated with cognition and behavior therapy. Patients in the EA plus PI group were treated with electro-acupuncture plus psychological intervention. Scores of IAD, scores of the symptom checklist90(SCL-90), latency and amplitude of P50 of AEP were measured before and after treatment.RESULTS: The scores of IAD after treatment significantly decreased in all groups(P < 0.05), and thescores of IAD in the EA plus PI group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups(P < 0.05). The scores of SCL-90 assembled and each factor after treatment in the EA plus PI group significantly decreased(P < 0.05). After treatment in the EA plus PI group, the amplitude distance of S1P50 and S2P50(S1-S2) significantly increased(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: EA combined with PI could relieve the mental symptoms of IAD patients, and the mechanism is possibly related to the increase of cerebrum sense perception gating function.

Effects of Electroacupuncture Combined Psycho-intervention on Cognitive Function and Event-Related Potentials P300 and Mismatch Negativity in Patients with Internet Addiction

Objective： To observe the effects of comprehensive therapy （CT） with electroacupuncture （EA） in combination with psycho-intervention （PI） on the cognitive function and event-related potentials （ERP）, P300 and mismatch negativity （MMN）, in patients with internet addiction （IA） for a preliminary exploration of the possible mechanism of the therapy. Metheds： One hundred and twenty patients with IA were randomly divided into three groups, and a total of 112 subjects reached the final analysis of the trial, the EA group （39 patients）, the PI group （36 patients） and the CT group （37 patients）. EA was applied at acupoints Baihui （GV20）, Sishencong （EX-HN1）, Hegu （LI4）, Neiguan （PC6）, Taichong （LR3） and Sanyinjiao （SP6）, once every other day; PI with the cognition- behavior mode was implemented every 4 days; both EA and PI were used in the CT group. The treatment course for all patients was 40 days. Changes before and after treatment in terms of scoring by the IA self-rating scale, short-term memory capacity, short-term memory span, and the latency and amplitude of P300 and MMN in patients were observed. Results： After treatment, in all groups, the IA score was lowered significantly （P〈0.05） and scores of short-term memory capacity and short-term memory span increased significantly （P〈0.05）, while the decreased IA score in the CT group was more significant than that in the other two groups （P〈0.05）. ERP measurements showed that P300 latency was depressed and its amplitude raised in the EA group; MMN amplitude increased in the CT group （all P〈0.05）. Cenclusien： The EA in combination with PI could improve the cognitive function of IA patients, and its mechanism might be related to the speedup of cerebral discrimination on external stimulus and the enhancement of effective resource mobilization during information processing of the brain.

Electro-acupuncture Treatment for Internet Addiction: Evidence of Normalization of Impulse Control Disorder in Adolescents

Objective： To observe the impacts of electro-acupuncture（EA） and psychological intervention（PI） on impulsive behavior among internet addiction（IA） adolescents. Methods： Thirty-two IA adolescents were allocated to either EA（16 cases） or PI（16 cases） group by a randomized digital table. Subjects in the EA group received EA treatment and subjects in the PI group received cognition and behavior therapy. All adolescents underwent 45-d intervention. Sixteen healthy volunteers were recruited into a control group. Barratt Impulsiveness Scale（BIS-11） scores, Young＇s Internet Addiction Test（IAT） as well as the ratio of brain N-acetyl aspartate（NAA） to creatine（NAA/Cr） and choline（Cho） to creatine（Cho/Cr） were recorded by magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after intervention respectively. Results： The IAT scores and BIS-11 total scores in both EA and PI group were remarkably decreased after treatment（P〈0.05）, while EA group showed more significant decrease in certain BIS-11 sub-factors（P〈0.05）. Both NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were significantly improved in EA group after treatment（P〈0.05）; however, there were no significant changes of NAA/Cr or Cho/Cr in PI group after treatment（P〉0.05）. Conclusions： Both EA and PI had significantly positive effect on IA adolescents, especially in the aspects of psychological experiences and behavioral expressions, EA might have an advantage over PI in terms of impulsivity control and brain neuron protection. The mechanism underlying this advantage might be related to the increased NAA and Cho levels in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices.

Prevalence of social media addiction among nursing students

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and level of social media addiction among nursing students in the Faculty of Nursing,Cairo University.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross‑sectional research design was conducted on samples of 340 students at the Faculty of Nursing,Cairo University.Data were collected through demographic background information sheet and Social Networking Addiction Scale.Results:All the students were addicted as 6.76%were severely addicted and 60.59%and 32.65%were moderately and mildly addicted,respectively.Significant relations were found between social media addiction and students’age(χ^(2)=11.331,P=0.003),educational level(χ^(2)=20.239,P=0.003),and grade point average(χ^(2)=19.378,P=0.013).Conclusion:Internet addiction was prevalent among all students but at different levels,so early screening of students for Internet addiction using the Internet Addiction Scale is important to provide early treatment and prevent hazards to health.

Causes of Internet Addiction Disorder

The Internet Addiction Disorder diagnostic manual approved by psychologists on November 8 divides Internet addiction into five categories,which are addiction to online games,pornography,social networking,Internet information and Internetshopping.

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.

Mental Health Impacts of Information and Communication Technology Usage in South Africa

This study examined mental health issues affecting the group of individuals who are in the social media contact list of the researchers.This was done by administering a closed structured questionnaire,covering information from participants’demographic characteristics,duration of time spent on ICT usage,to their perceived health effects thereof.Male respondents,largely unemployed are active ICT users,addicted to the Internet,and also suf-fer from unspecified ailments.Aged 31–35 and above,half of men and all women participants spend more than 5 h per day.High-intensive ICT use is associated,in general,with concurrent symptoms of information overload,depression and Internet addiction.It is insignificantly associated with composite stress.Medium intensive ICT use is correlated with fatigue and depression in equal measure but in opposite direction.There are significant differ-ences in demographic attributes as they explain intensity of ICT Usage.The older the employed survey partici-pants are,the less they suffer from composite stress.However,black South Africans suffer significantly from composite stress,fatigue and depression,though negatively from internet addiction.The results also indicate that South African men have negative experiences of composite stress,depression and internet addiction.Educated South Africans have negative experiences of fatigue,but positive experiences of composite stress,depression and internet addiction.Low intensive use of ICT has no impact on composite stress,fatigue and depressive moods of survey participants.It impacts negatively on internet addiction.Medium intensive use of ICT impacts posi-tively on survey participants’experiences of fatigue,but negatively on composite stress,depression and internet addiction.High-intensive use of ICT impacts positively on survey participants’experiences of composite stress and depression.

Smartphone dependency and its impact on academics among medical and nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Objective:This study aimed to assess smartphone dependency and its impact on academics among medical and nursing students.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out on Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery(MBBS)and Bachelor of Science in Nursing(BScN)students in a medical teaching institute.The Smartphone Dependency Scale and self-structured questionnaire on impact of smartphone on academics were used to assess smartphone dependency and its impact on academics.A total of 436 students were selected using the total enumerative sampling technique.Data were analyzed using the descriptive(frequency,percentage,mean,and standard deviation)and inferential(t-test,Chi-square test)statistics.Results:The mean age of students was 20.6±1.29 years,81%were females,and the mean body mass index score was 21.59±3.41 kg/m2.The mean impact on academics and smartphone dependency scores was 19.92±7.01 and 48.58±11.46,respectively.The impact on academics had a significant association with student category(P<0.001)and gender(P<0.001).A significant association was found between the impact on academics(P=0.003)and smartphone dependency(P=0.05)with studying class.Conclusion:The use of smartphones is more among medical students.Students studying in the first and second years are found to be more dependent on smartphone,which caused a serious impact on their academics.Smart appliances have become mandatory in this era of technology,and it is not possible to stop its usage but negative impact of smartphones on students’academic performance needs to be addressed.Therefore,it is mandatory to organize educational seminars and workshops to promote the appropriate use of smartphones.

Development of Japanese Version of Smartphone Dependence Scale

We designed a Japanese version of the Smartphone Dependence Scale (J-SDS) for university students, and assessed its validity and reliability. For development of this scale, we initially selected 43 preliminary items based on previous studies of Internet and mobile phone dependence. Each response was scored using a Likert scale (0, 1, 2, 3), with higher scores indicating greater dependence. After administering the preliminary scale to 149 university students, the final 29 items were selected according to exploratory factor analysis. The final scale consisted of 5 factors: 1) craving and withdrawal, 2) overuse and tolerance, 3) virtual life orientation, 4) disturbance of concentration in class, and 5) physical symptoms. Reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) values for the 5 factors and total J-SDS were 0.87, 0.87, 0.76, 0.77, 0.69, and 0.92, respectively. We then summed the Likert scores for each item to provide a quantitative overall smartphone dependence score, with higher scores indicating greater dependence. The J-SDS score became significantly higher with longer hours of smartphone use (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that the J-SDS is a reliable and valid scale for screening university students who may be at risk of developing smartphone dependence.

The <i>Hikikomori</i>Phenomenon: Could Loneliness Be a Choice of Self-Restriction from Society?

Originated in Japan, the hikikomori phenomenon—as a form of individual withdrawal—has progressively widespread and gained international attention, given its psycho-social and economic consequences. In fact, hikikomori appears today as a problem that cannot be confined solely to the field of mental health. Rather, it appears as a phenomenon that concerns many aspects of modern society, intersecting with medicine, sociology, anthropology, politics, economics, culture and education. In the context of the actual loneliness pandemic, hikikomori individuals present characteristics that are examined in this article, together with suggestions for its possible management.

Neuroimaging the effects of smartphone(over-)use on brain function and structure-a review on the current state of MRI-based findings and a roadmap for future research

The smartphone represents a transformative device that dramatically changed our daily lives,including how we communicate,work,entertain ourselves,and navigate through unknown territory.Given its ubiquitous availability and impact on nearly every aspect of our lives,debates on the potential impact of smartphone(over-)use on the brain and whether smartphone use can be“addictive”have increased over the last years.Several studies have used magnetic resonance imaging to characterize associations between individual differences in excessive smartphone use and variations in brain structure or function.Therefore,it is an opportune time to summarize and critically reflect on the available studies.Following this overview,we present a roadmap for future research to improve our understanding of how excessive smartphone use can affect the brain,mental health,and cognitive and affective functions.