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This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of anxiety and inhibitory control in the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. A total of 951 adolescents from western China completed a self-report survey assessing physical activity, anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS software and the Process plug-in. Controlling for age, gender, and only child status, the findings revealed a negative association between physical activity and anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Moreover, anxiety were positively correlated with inhibitory control and IA. Additionally, anxiety exhibited a positive association with inhibitory control. Notably, physical activity directly and negatively predicted IA in adolescents, while also indirectly predicting it through anxiety and inhibitory control. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the complex effects of physical activity on IA among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to show the association between internet addiction (IA), sleep quality, and psycho‐social problems among secondary school students Design: A cross‐sectional, descriptive, and correlational study design was used. Sample: A total of 557 students from four secondary schools in Erbil were selected using multistage cluster sampling Measurements: The questionnaires of this research contained socio‐demographic data, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Pediatric Symptom Checklist—Y (PSC‐Y) questionnaire. Results: Findings indicated that students displayed a mild IA, averaging a score of 42.9 ± 19.18. Furthermore, the average sleep quality (PSQI) score was 8.95 ± 2.75, indicating moderate sleep disturbance, and the average score for psycho‐social problems was 27.78 ± 13.29. Importantly, there was a strong and positive association between IA and psycho‐social issues, as shown by a correlation coefficient of 0.31 (p <.001). Sleep quality was correlated with IA and psychosocial issues (p <.001, correlation values:.23 and.27, respectively) Conclusions: The study highlights the urgent need for health policymakers and nursing managers in Erbil to develop targeted interventions, such as awareness campaigns and digital well‐being programs in school curricula, to mitigate the interlinked issues of IA, sleep quality, and psycho‐social problems among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the numerous benefits of Internet use, improper Internet utilization may produce many psychological illnesses, such as Internet Addiction (IA). Young people are considered a vulnerable population for IA. Purpose: The current study is conducted to determine the prevalence of IA among youth in Jordan. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive approach. The final sample consisted of 405 Jordanian young people. The researchers recruited the study participants from two universities and four schools located at different regions in Jordan. The study utilized a self-report questionnaire composed of four sections; Basic Information Questionnaire, Internet Use Patterns Questionnaire, IA Test, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment. Ethical principles of nursing research were adhered to. The study was conducted during the second semester of 2023/2024 academic year. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The study results revealed that about one third of the participants (n= 121, 29.9%) met the criteria for IA. There is a variability among the study participants regarding their online activities, where social media was the main online activity (66.4 %). The study results also reported that there is a positive association between anxiety and IA (r = 0.66; p = 0.001). Conclusion: From a Jordanian viewpoint, this study adds to the understanding of IA among youth in the international literature. To mitigate the negative effects of IA, stakeholders must work together interdisciplinarily and with concerted effort. Implications for Nursing: Nurses can play an important role in raising awareness about IA among youth and making referral for the affected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite problematic internet use being especially high among adolescents, there are no screening instruments in Spain specifically for adolescents that would facilitate early detection of this problem. The main goal of this study was to validate the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) in the adolescent Spanish population as well as to analyze the discriminative capacity of CIUS based on sociodemographic characteristics, grade point average, and other addictive behaviors. Data were obtained from the ESTUDES, a representative survey of addictive behaviors of Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of a total of 34,308 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old (M age = 15.70; SD = 1.19; 51.7% females). Results indicated that the CIUS fit a unidimensional structure, exhibited measurement invariance with respect to sex and age, and demonstrated excellent reliability (ω =.94). Past-month tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use, as well as past-year gambling and gaming, were related to CIUS scores. A standardized screening instrument that provides valid, reliable information on young people's use of the Internet in Spain is a critical requirement for successful early detection and intervention in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental monitoring of digital media use evolves throughout childhood and adolescence and become increasingly important when autonomy seeking on social technologies emerges during early adolescence. We investigate a survey cohort of 248 US parents of early adolescents and their parental media monitoring behaviors (i.e., restrictive, active, deference), the family context (i.e., closeness and parent technoference), and perceptions of child's problematic internet use. Using an explanatory mixed methods approach, the results of this study reveal that restrictive parental monitoring of adolescents' digital media use is positively associated with child's problematic internet use. However, active and deference monitoring are not associated with early adolescent problematic internet use and positively associated with family contexts. Familial closeness and technoference are consistent negative and positive correlates, respectively, of perceived problematic use among early adolescents. Qualitative interviews with a subset of 31 parents reveal while most parents report restrictive behaviors, multiple techniques (e.g., active, surveillant, and deference) are also leveraged when navigating their child's online behaviors. Parents tended to converge on the same types and reasons for restrictive monitoring of media, whereas for other approaches the reasons behind their decision-making were quite divergent. The implication of this study is that parental media monitoring behaviors during early adolescence are rapidly evolving and not confined to a singular strategy, often related to prevention of or intervention on their child's online behavior patterns. Understanding the family dynamics and parent involvement of adolescent's digital media use remains critical in prevention of child's problematic behaviors and promotion of positive online behaviors. Highlights: Restrictive media monitoring is positively associated with parental perceptions of early adolescent's problematic internet use. Active and deference monitoring is associated with family characteristics, but not early adolescent's problematic online behaviors. Parental media monitoring strategies are constantly shifting depending on the child, context, and insecurities about effectiveness of their approaches. Family closeness and parental device use are also important indicators of early adolescent online behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited awareness, social stigma, and access to mental health professionals hinder early detection and intervention of internet gaming disorder (IGD), which has emerged as a significant concern among young individuals. Prevalence estimates vary between 0.7% and 15.6%, and its recognition in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition underscores its impact on academic functioning, social isolation, and mental health challenges. Objective: This study aimed to uncover digital phenotypes for the early detection of IGD among adolescents in learning settings. By leveraging sensor data collected from student tablets, the overarching objective is to incorporate these digital indicators into daily school activities to establish these markers as a mental health screening tool, facilitating the early identification and intervention for IGD cases. Methods: A total of 168 voluntary participants were engaged, consisting of 85 students with IGD and 83 students without IGD. There were 53% (89/168) female and 47% (79/168) male individuals, all within the age range of 13-14 years. The individual students learned their Korean literature and mathematics lessons on their personal tablets, with sensor data being automatically collected. Multiple regression with bootstrapping and multivariate ANOVA were used, prioritizing interpretability over predictability, for cross-validation purposes. Results: A negative correlation between IGD Scale (IGDS) scores and learning outcomes emerged (r166=-0.15; P=.047), suggesting that higher IGDS scores were associated with lower learning outcomes. Multiple regression identified 5 key indicators linked to IGD, explaining 23% of the IGDS score variance: stroke acceleration (β=.33; P<.001), time interval between keys (β=-0.26; P=.01), word spacing (β=-0.25; P<.001), deletion (β=-0.24; P<.001), and horizontal length of strokes (β=0.21; P=.02). Multivariate ANOVA cross-validated these findings, revealing significant differences in digital phenotypes between potential IGD and non-IGD groups. The average effect size, measured by Cohen d, across the indicators was 0.40, indicating a moderate effect. Notable distinctions included faster stroke acceleration (Cohen d=0.68; P=<.001), reduced word spacing (Cohen d=.57; P=<.001), decreased deletion behavior (Cohen d=0.33; P=.04), and longer horizontal strokes (Cohen d=0.34; P=.03) in students with potential IGD compared to their counterparts without IGD. Conclusions: The aggregated findings show a negative correlation between IGD and learning performance, highlighting the effectiveness of digital markers in detecting IGD. This underscores the importance of digital phenotyping in advancing mental health care within educational settings. As schools adopt a 1-device-per-student framework, digital phenotyping emerges as a promising early detection method for IGD. This shift could transform clinical approaches from reactive to proactive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our primary goal was to examine the temporal relationship between online PNS (autonomy; competency; relatedness) and social networking addiction. A sample of 384 Chinese adolescents aged from 11 to 14 years (baseline Mage = 12.71 years, SD = 0.64) finished the anonymous questionnaires about online PNS and social networking addiction on two measurement occasions across 2 years. Data on adolescents' online PNS and social networking addiction was collected from participants' self-reports. Longitudinal measurement invariance was tested for the scales. The present study used a series of two-wave autoregressive cross-lagged models to examine the temporal relationship between online PNS (autonomy; competency; relatedness) and social networking addiction. The finding revealed the online psychological need for autonomy, competence and relatedness predicted the social networking addiction in the following year. In contrast, social networking addiction did not predict online psychological need satisfaction. This study contributes to reducing the risk of social networking addiction among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the Internet has several positive functions, but at the same time it also represents a health risk, especially for adolescents. The increased use of the Internet in recent decades has also been linked to an increase in problematic Internet use, which has now become a global social issue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet use increased even more and influenced adolescents' habits, leading to an increase in sedentary behaviors. The aim of this study was to understand whether Internet addiction differed between sportive and nonsportive adolescents and between males and females. We analyzed two samples of adolescents, with different behaviors regarding sports practice. Internet addiction was assessed by the administration of a validated questionnaire (UADI) via an online survey. Although all the mean values of both the subgroups fell into the "non-pathological" category, differences between sports groups and sexes were found, with different trends for each one of the five dimensions of Internet use. In conclusion, sportive adolescents generally showed less severe Internet addiction; therefore, encouraging sports practice can help to fight wrong habits related to a sedentary lifestyle. The promotion of sports practice in these ages is therefore a priority aspect, especially in females, who showed a general predisposition to escape from reality in comparison to males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet usage is a salient developmental factor in adolescents' lives. Although relevant correlates of Internet use have been documented earlier, there is a lack of information on lower socioeconomic status groups. This is important, as these adolescents have increased risk of negative online experiences. The current survey aimed to explore Internet use and parental involvement amongst adolescents from areas of socio-economic disadvantage in 30 urban schools across five European countries. A total of 2594 students participated, of whom 90% were 14–16 years. Virtually all adolescents of socioeconomic disadvantage had Internet access, with 88.5% reporting spending more than two hours per day online, often on apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Almost one-third of adolescents did not talk with their parents about their Internet use and almost two-thirds indicated that their parents were only a little or not interested in their Internet use. A consistent finding across countries was that girls more often talked with their parents about their Internet use and more often reported that their parents were interested in their Internet use than boys. The results suggest that parents have an important task in explicitly showing interest in their adolescents' Internet use, with special attention needed for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the serious influence of problematic Internet use on mental health among Japanese adolescents, no randomized clinical trials have investigated universal school-based interventions for this potential health challenge. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of a school-based educational program. This two-armed, parallel, cluster-based randomized clinical trial included 5312 students from 13 high schools situated in a mid-sized Japanese city. The students in the intervention arm received 10 weekly standardized sessions, including a combination of information provision and interactive sessions by schoolteachers. The students in the control group followed a standard school curriculum. A generalized estimating equation model was applied to assess the primary (Korean Scale for Internet Addiction [K-scale] score) and secondary (behavioral change status according to changes in the transtheoretical model smartphone addiction score and Internet usage time) outcomes two months after intervention completion. The intention-to-treat analysis included 2597 (97.2%) and 2504 (94.9%) students in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Nevertheless, a significant discrepancy emerged regarding the behavioral change status. Therefore, this school-based program did not improve the Internet or smartphone addiction scores among Japanese adolescents. Further studies are needed to develop appropriate interventions for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods study examines high school students' self-confidence, social media use, and internet addiction. The data were collected from 340 high school students in Samsun during the 2019-2020 academic year. Participants completed self-confidence, internet addiction, and social media use scales, and interviews. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests were used. Results showed that self-confidence levels varied among participants, and 6.5% of participants were addicted to the Internet. Self-confidence levels were higher among 9th-grade students, while social media use differed significantly among 11th-grade students. No significant differences were found by gender. Internet addiction increased as social media use and self-confidence levels decreased. Qualitative findings revealed that participants use the internet and social media for various purposes, and some struggle to control their internet use. These results suggest that social media use, self-confidence levels, and age predict internet addiction. Future studies could explore these variables in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the pattern of structural relationships of the role of parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty in the tendency of internet addiction with the mediation of experiential avoidance in adolescents . Method: The research method was descriptive and correlation based on structural equations. The statistical population of all male students of the second year of high school was studying in the government schools of Ardabil city in the academic year of 2022 -2023. From this population, a sample of 180 people was selected using available sampling method and answered the questionnaires of Internet Addiction (1996), Experimental Avoidance (2011), Parenting Styles (1972) and Intolerance of Uncertainty (2007). SPSS version 25 and SmartPLS version 4 software were used to analyze the collected data . Results: The results of structural equations showed that authoritarian style (β=0.17, P=0.001) and permissive style (β=0.39, P=0.001) and intolerance of uncertainty (β=0.27, P=0.001) have a positive and direct effect on internet addiction, and authoritative style has a negative and direct effect on internet addiction (β= -0.21, P=0.001). Also, the results of indirect effects showed that experiential avoidance mediates the relationship between parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty with internet addiction (P=0.05) . Conclusion: The results showed that parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty are important factors of internet addiction that affect internet addiction through the mediation of experiential avoidance; Therefore, psychologists and school counselors are advised to hold workshops aimed at reducing and preventing internet addiction among adolescents . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Internet use, which has become an integral part of life all over the world, causes some eating and nutritional disorders, especially in adolescents. This study aims to determine the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and nutrition/eating awareness in adolescents. Methods: This study was applied on 11th and 12th grade students studyingat three high schools in Turkey. 390 students participated in the study. During data collection, Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) and Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) were used.Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation were used for descriptive data. Chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis variance analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis wereemployed for data analysis. Results: The mean of the GPIUS scores of the students participating in the study is 52.5±21.5. 28.5% of the adolescents have stated that they daily use the internet for 5 hours or more. In the study, the adolescents who have stated that they consume energy drinks have higher PIU scores than those who do not consume (P<0.05). The PIU scores of the adolescents who have stated that they are influenced by food advertisements on the internet are found to be significantly higher (P<0.05). In the study, an opposite correlation is determined between GPIUS and subscale scores, and MEQ and its subscales (P<0.05). Conclusion: Adolescents with higher PIU scores have stated that they are influenced by food advertisements more, those who consume energy drinks have higher PIU scores and, as PIU scores increase, eating awareness decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Internet addiction (IA), insomnia, and suicide are serious public health issues with profound implications that deserve further attention. Yet few studies have used network analysis to explore their interactions and relationship with physical activity (PA) from the symptom dimension level. This study aims to construct the IA-PA-Insomnia network and to explore the symptoms that exhibit the strongest correlation with suicidal ideation. This research enrolled 6573 students aged 12–17 years old from two schools. Internet addiction (Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale), insomnia (Athens Insomnia Scale), physical activity, suicide ideation, and demographics were employed in the collection of data. The ggmModSelect algorithm was applied to establish the network structure and identify central and bridge symptoms. The prevalence of Internet addiction, insomnia, and suicide ideation is 8.7%, 17.5%, and 15. 8%, respectively. "Tolerance," "sleep quality," and "time management" were the core symptoms in the network. The strongest bridge nodes were "tolerance," "daytime sleepiness," and "time management". "Daytime mood" shared the most direct associations with suicide ideation. Physical activity was inversely associated with all symptom nodes, especially daytime mood and interpersonal and health-related problems. Tolerance and time management are crucial factors in maintaining the entire network and triggering the co-occurrence of different psychological conditions. Daytime mood was most associated with suicidal ideation and regular exercise can help with IA, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. There is a need to target these symptoms to protect the physical and mental health of adolescents. • Tolerance and time management are the most crucial core symptoms and bridge symptoms. • Physical activity is negatively correlated with all nodes in the network. • Daytime mood exhibited the most direct associations with suicide ideation. • Gender and history of somatic diseases do not affect symptom interrelations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigates both offline and online bullying perpetration and victimization in association with problematic internet use (PIU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU), while also considering the related psychosocial difficulties. Methods: A total of 3939 adolescents (49.4% boys, aged 13–15 years) from a representative sample of schools in Slovakia was obtained from the Health Behavior in School‐aged Children (HBSC) project in 2018. Due to the lack of similar complex research and the expected mutual associations among the constructs, we compared exploratory network models that provided separate estimates for boys and girls. Results: The constructs formed similarly clustered networks for both genders, with a few notable differences. Unlike PIU, PSU was not associated with bullying experiences in boys or girls; however, PSU and PIU were partially related in girls. Bullying experiences formed a strong cluster in both networks. Two strong bridges were identified, and they are potential candidates for intervention in both boys and girls: first, traditional bullying victimization connected the cluster of bullying experiences to psychosocial difficulties; and, second, frequently missing sleep or meals due to internet use (behavioral salience) that is connected to the bullying cluster with PIU. Conclusions: The findings offer an indication for the preventive and interventive work of practitioners who deal with adolescents, as well as complex gender comparisons for the mutual relations of problematic internet and smartphone use, bullying experiences, and the psychosocial difficulties of youth. This study provides evidence that problematic digital media can play a role in bullying experiences irrespective of whether bullying happens offline or online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to describe screen use patterns among Turkish adolescents during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic with a special emphasis on social media and digital gaming addiction, and explore how these are linked to adolescents' mental and academic well-being. Materials and Method: The study sample consisted of 9th to 12th grade students from three public high-schools in Istanbul, Turkey (n=201). Participants were required to complete a comprehensive questionnaire which gathered information about various domains including problematic screen use, attitudes towards online education, and mental/academic well-being during the lockdown period. Results: The overall screen time exhibited a significant increase during the lockdown, with the most common discretionary screen activities being social media use, communication, and watching movies/series (p<0.001). The students spent significantly less time on physical activities (p=0.003) and face-to-face meetings with their friends (p<0.001). Male students presented with higher scores on gaming addiction (p<0.001), whereas a significantly higher proportion of the female students (28.57% vs. 14.81%) were classified as at-risk for social media addiction (p=0.046). Both gaming addiction and social media addiction were associated with higher depression scores (p=0.003 and p<0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: Screen use patterns may have diverse consequences for youth's well-being during the pandemic. The addiction risk and other detrimental outcomes are likely to be associated with the qualitative features of screen activities, rather than just the amount of time spent on digital media by the adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problematic Internet use (PIU), a common phenomenon, has negative effects on adolescents, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Adolescents with PIU pose great challenges to parenting. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. The study examines the chain mediating roles of parenting stress and parental expectations between PIU and parental involvement across early, middle, and late adolescence. Families (N = 1206) that included fathers, mothers, and adolescents (48.9% females, Mage = 13.86 ± 2.48) participated in the study. Adolescents provided a rating of PIU, and fathers and mothers reported their own parenting stress, parental expectations, and parental involvement. The results showed that paternal parenting stress and then expectations mediated the association between PIU and paternal involvement, and maternal parenting stress and then expectations mediated the association between PIU and maternal involvement, indicating a spillover effect. By contrast, the crossover effect was established only in that maternal parenting stress was negatively related to paternal expectations in middle adolescents. Moreover, maternal expectations showed the strongest association with maternal involvement in middle adolescents, whereas paternal expectations were most associated with paternal involvement in late adolescents. These findings underline the necessity of understanding parenting by assessing adolescent developmental stages and paternal and maternal parenting separately. Furthermore, the mediators of parenting stress and parental expectations can be the focus on facilitating parental involvement; the effect of maternal parenting stress on paternal expectations may suggest that intervention programs for fathers should consider more contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has significantly affected the mental health of adolescents, thus increasing the emotional distress among them. Studies have reported that heavy Internet use during COVID-19 was linked with poor mental health among adolescents. Additionally, it was found that personality factors are linked with mental health in general. Although past literature has reported the effect of personality factors on mental health, there are limited studies examining the underlying mechanisms among Malaysian adolescents. Therefore, the current study offers an understanding of the intervening role of personality factors in the relationship between Internet addiction and emotional distress among adolescents in Malaysia. This study also aimed to determine the prevalence of Internet addiction and emotional distress (depression, stress, and anxiety) among adolescents in Malaysia. There are a total of 500 participants from 7 secondary schools who range from 13 to 19 years of age. This was a cross-sectional study, and 3 valid questionnaires were used: The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Partial least square structure equation modelling (SmartPLS) was used to analyse the mediation models. The results showed that the prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents was 29.6% and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents were 64.8%, 78%, and 51.4%, respectively. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed only emotional stability mediated the relationship between Internet addiction and emotional distress, but not openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, or agreeableness. It is proposed that mental health providers should focus on providing emotion-related interventions to adolescents confronting COVID-19 challenges, ultimately improving mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Happiness is an essential component in measuring quality of life. Today, rapid internet use proliferation has led to adverse effects on this behavior of individuals and family structures. Method: The statistical population consisted of 500 high school girls aged between 15 and 18 studying in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades at Shiraz, Iran, from February 2018 to March 2019. The data were collected using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) and the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The test and the questionnaire were translated into Persian. The validity and reliability were approved by earlier studies in Iran. Five hundred high school students participated in the study. Results: The mean age of the participants was 16.7 ± 0.97 years, and their grade point average (GPA) was 18.41 ± 7.92. Among the 500 participants, 55% (275) of fathers and 65.8% (329) of mothers had parents with a diploma degree, and 162 (32.4%) were affected by Internet Addiction (IA). The univariate analysis showed that participants' education field, parents' educational status, each parent's vocational status, participants' GPA, and their duration of Internet usage correlated with the IA (P ≤ 0.2). Furthermore, multiple logistic analyses showed that mothers' education (P < 0.055) and participants' minutes of Internet usage (P < 0.001) correlated with IA. Conclusion: There is a negative correlation between happiness score and internet addiction among high school female students in Shiraz, Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect of physical maltreatment on online gaming disorder and investigated the mediating role of insecure attachment in the aforementioned relationship. Further, multi-group analysis was conducted aiming to explore whether the pathways in the conceptual model were significantly different across the groups of adolescents from single and non-single child families. Based on a multi-stage random cluster sampling method, a total of 2001 adolescents aged 12–18 years (51.3 % boys and 48.7 % girls) was obtained from Hebei Province, China. We used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis in SEM for data analyses.The results showed that physical abuse was directly associated with online gaming disorder (B=0.139, β = 0.107, p < 0.01, 95 % CI [0.063, 0.218]). Only anxious attachment mediated the relationship between physical abuse and online gaming disorder (B=0.069, β = 0.053, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.045, 0.098]), and between physical neglect and online gaming disorder (B=0.025, β = 0.029, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.015, 0.038]). The results of multi-group analysis suggested the significant difference in the pathway coefficients between the two groups. Significant difference was observed in the specific structural pathway between physical neglect and anxious attachment (CRD= − 2.851, p < 0.05), with the effect being stronger for adolescents from single child families (B=0.248, β = 0.279, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.176, 0.392]) compared with those from non-single child families (B=0.115, β = 0.137, p < 0.001, 95 % CI [0.073, 0.199]). The findings suggest the indirect influencing mechanism of insecure attachment in the relationship between physical maltreatment and online gaming disorder. The results of the multi-group analysis require future practitioners to evaluate the family conditions of siblings when intervening in online gaming disorder of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) among school going adolescents constitutes a major area of concern. However, no comprehensive reports are available to determine the magnitude of the problem. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of PIU among school going adolescents in India. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta analysis of 15 studies conducted in various parts of India. Results: The prevalence of moderate and severe PIU among Indian school going adolescents was 21.5% (95% CI: 17.0%–26.8%) and 2.6% (95% CI: 1.6%–4.2%) based on the Young Internet Addiction Test (Y IAT) cutoff points of 50 and 80, respectively. In subgroup analysis, it was found that the year of publication, gender, sampling method, and severity of addiction had a significant effect on the prevalence estimates. Conclusions: Currently, the use of the internet is rampant in India and our findings reflect nationally representative data on the magnitude of PIU among school going adolescents. About one fifth of school going adolescents are at risk of PIU in this setting. There is a need for further research in the reconsideration of cut off points of the Y IAT among Indian adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation that aims to: 1) explore the relations between core symptoms of adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and several typical Internet activities, and 2) compare the predictive power of two core symptoms of ADHD- inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity- in predicting Internet addiction. Methods: A total of 2016 Chinese college students participated in this study. The ADHD symptoms were assessed using Conners self-rating scales and DSM-5 semistructured interviews. Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (SCID-5) was used to exclude other psychiatric disorders. Chen's Internet addiction scale (CIAS) was used to evaluate Internet addiction. Information about Internet activities (e.g., online gaming) was collected through a self-constructed questionnaire. Results: The ratio of Internet addiction problems among individuals with ADHD symptoms is significantly higher than in ordinary individuals (48.9% vs. 14.3%). Further, each core ADHD symptom has unique relations with different types of Internet activities. Specifically, both core ADHD symptoms are negatively associated with information downloading and online learning, and positively associated with online gaming, while online shopping is only associated with hyperactivity/impulsivity. Furthermore, both core ADHD symptoms are significant predictors of Internet addiction, especially inattention. Conclusion: College students with ADHD symptoms are at a higher risk of having Internet addiction than peers without ADHD symptoms. For individuals with ADHD symptoms and excessive online gaming and/or online shopping behaviors, the probability of having Internet addiction is even higher. These findings have important implications for identifying risk factors of Internet addiction and preventing Internet addiction in Higher Education settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Poor sleep quality among higher education students is a world public health problem that can lead to a decrease of the concentration and consequently the academic performance. This study aimed to determine sleep quality among higher education students and to verify its association with internet addiction and psychological disorders (anxiety and depression). METHODS: The sample comprised 148 higher education students of the south of Portugal, being 108 (73%) female, aged between 18 and 54 years old. The measuring instrument included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: Fifty-five (37.2%) students had a good sleep quality, 77 (52%) poor sleep quality, and 16 (10.8%) a severe sleep disorder. Forty-one (27.7%) students said that they went to bed between 12:00 am and 12.30 am and 37 (25%) between 11 pm and 11.30 pm. The sleep duration was 7:08±1:31. Fifty (48.1%) students who classified with poor sleep quality classified themselves as good sleepers (p=0.001). Internet addiction was not associated with poor sleep quality. Students who present anxiety and/or depression symptoms had 0.31 (CI: 0.135-0.71; p=0.005) more probabilities to have sleep disorders compared to those who did not show these symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study found that most of the analyzed students present a poor quality of sleep and this was associated with a presence of anxiety and/or depression. It becomes necessary to develop sleep hygiene education programs for prevention and treatment of sleep disturbances in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet addiction has become a common problem among adolescents in recent years. However, the underlying factors of adolescent internet addiction have not fully clarified. The current study tested the link between rumination and internet addiction and the mediating role of depression in this relationship. The data were collected from 600 high school students in Turkey (53.2% female, Mage = 16.41, SD = 1.13). The participants completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Ruminative Response Scale-Short Form (RRS-SF), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised 10-Item Version for Adolescents (CESDR-10), and a demographic questionnaire. Model tests were completed in a SEM framework. The results indicated that rumination and internet addiction were positively associated, and depression positively and partially mediated the relationship between rumination and internet addiction. Moderation tests by gender were significant. These associations differed by gender, where the direct effect of rumination on internet addiction is significant only for male adolescents, the indirect effect is significant only for female adolescents. Depression has a mediating role in the relationship between rumination and internet addiction only for female adolescents. There is a link between rumination and internet addiction, although gender differences were found. Findings highlight the importance of considering adolescent gender while evaluating the factors that contribute to internet addiction. The results suggest that developing intervention programs to prevent internet addiction by taking into account the effects of depression, rumination, and gender variables may be more beneficial. Findings might help social workers understanding the effects of adolescent mental health on internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle, habits, and behavioral differences in children, and their changing internet use habits. Methods: The research was planned as a cross-sectional study involving 4892 children aged 8 to 17 years attending schools in the city center of Trabzon, Turkey. Children's daily living activities, social habits, mood and temperament changes, and internet use were investigated before and during the pandemic. In terms of problematic internet use, internet addiction rates were evaluated using the validated Turkish-language version of the Parent-Child Internet Addiction Scale (PCIAT-20). Results: The children's mean age was 13 ± 2.45 years, and 17.1% (n = 837) exhibited problematic internet use features on the PCIAT-20. Problematic internet use was higher in boys and in children older than 13 years. The presence of COVID-19 infection among members of the household, quarantine measures, attending private schools, the mother's occupation, the time spent by the mother and father on their mobile phones, and high parental education levels were associated with a high level of internet addiction. Families also described significant changes in their children's temperament and character compared with the pre-pandemic period. Conclusion: The prevalence of problematic internet use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous studies from Turkey. Children were also more introverted, irritable, and pessimistic during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents are a vulnerable population to problematic Internet use. Although it is considered a behavioral addiction, there is a lack of unified definition and criteria, and the current models are derived from substance dependence and their validity is yet to be established. At present, the Internet has become an integral part of everyday life and further explication is needed on what constitutes problematic Internet use. Unrealistic expectations, the need for excitement, risky behaviors, addictive temptations, and late bedtime in adolescents can lead to addiction. The Internet provides anonymity and at the same time a sense of belongingness and social acceptability to them. The prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) varies across cultures and countries. More than 90% of students stayed at home due to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the technology became necessary to access education and gather information. Flexible daily routine, unlimited Internet access, less parental interference, boredom, and the natural tendency of this age group to use the Internet have led to an increase in IA. Unsupervised screen time and Internet access, lack of identification of at-risk individuals, lack of appropriate interventional strategies, and lack of awareness of mental health have made the scenario more complex, which is often overlooked. Treatment of problematic Internet use is an evolving field and the traditional model of abstinence is not feasible for the management of IA. Cognitive behavioral approaches are promising when combined with other treatments. Psychotropic drugs are found to be effective on comorbid conditions, which, in turn, can help in mitigating the symptoms of IA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous research has demonstrated that the experience of cyberbullying victimization is associated with behavioral and psychological health problems, it is still unclear how cyberbullying victimization affects physical and mental health issues. Our aim was to test the longitudinal linkage between cyberbullying victimization and problematic Internet use (PIU) via the possible mediating roles of mindfulness and depression. This study employed a two-wave longitudinal design. 661 Chinese junior high school students were assessed using self-reported questionnaires about cyberbullying victimization, mindfulness, severity of depression, and PIU. The results revealed that the experience of cyberbullying victimization was positively related to PIU through the mediating variables of mindfulness and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use and addictive disorders are among the most significant public health concerns, particularly during adolescence. The current study aims to investigate internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and loneliness levels in adolescents and youths with substance use. Methods: The study group consisted of 93 adolescents and youths aged 15–24 who presented to the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Research and Application Center or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases outpatient clinic for substance use. Ninety-one healthy volunteers who did not use substances during any period of their lives participated as a control group. The participants fulfilled the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and Drug Use Disorders Identification Test – Extended (DUDIT-E). Results: The symptoms of internet gaming disorder were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group. Although it was not significant, social media addiction was higher in the patient group than in the control group. The experience of loneliness was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. A significant negative correlation was found between treatment motivation and loneliness. Conclusions: School guidance teachers should monitor children who do not have friends or are lonely and be aware of the potential for substance use because it can emerge as a method of coping with the feeling of loneliness among adolescents. In future studies, investigating comprehensive factors contributing to different addictive behaviors may help to clarify the co-occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The increasing demand for computer technology and the widespread influence of the internet has left many people, particularly students, with mental disorders and problems in social connections caused by computer addition. Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-empowerment in the relationship between sensation seeking and adolescent internet addiction. Method: This descriptive study has used structural modeling. The study's statistical populat ion included all high school students in Karaj in 2018-2019, from whom 310 students were selected by purposive sampling and completed the Arndt Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS), Young Internet Addiction Test, and Psychosocial Inventory of Ego Strength (PIES). The collected data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and Sobel test using SPSS23 and AMOS23. Results: According to the results, the direct effect of sensation seeking and self-empowerment on the students internet addiction was significant at a 95% confidence level (p<0.05). The results also indicated an indirect relationship between sensation seeking and the students internet addiction mediated by their self-empowerment at a 95% confidence level (p<0.05). In general, the results of the models showed a good fit for all research scales. Conclusion: In conclusion, paying attention to the enhancement of individuals belief in their ego strength can reduce the likelihood of high-risk behaviors and consequently prevent the adverse effects of adolescent internet addiction through psychological well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the role of sensation seeking and self-empowerment to prevent internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased social media usage during the COVID-19 pandemic raised the concern about social media addiction (SMA), especially among adolescents. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of adolescents' SMA in Hong Kong before and during the pandemic, to examine the effects of general parenting behaviors and Internet-specific parenting practices by fathers and mothers respectively on adolescents' SMA, and to analyze the moderating roles of general parenting behaviors in the relationship between Internet-specific parental practices and adolescents' SMA. This study employed a two-wave longitudinal design. A total of 878 secondary school students (53.9% were girls, age = 13.19 ± 0.52 years at wave 1) in Hong Kong completed a questionnaire-based survey in 2019 and 2020. Paired-samples proportions tests revealed that there was no significant change in the prevalence of adolescents' SMA between the pre-pandemic (10.7%) and post-pandemic (9.7%) periods. Multiple regression analyses indicated that paternal responsiveness was negatively and maternal responsiveness was positively associated with adolescents' SMA. Surprisingly, both paternal and maternal reactive restrictive mediations were positively associated with adolescents' SMA. Interaction analyses showed that paternal responsiveness moderates the effects of paternal co-use on adolescents' SMA, and maternal demandingness moderates the effects of maternal rule-setting on adolescents' SMA. The findings called for more comprehensive theoretical models that consider the interplay between general parenting behaviors and Internet-specific parenting, and highlighted the need for tailored interventions for fathers and mothers, respectively. Moreover, the counterproductive effect of reactive restrictive mediation deserves attention from researchers, social workers, and parents. • The prevalence of adolescents' social media addiction (SMA) in Hong Kong did not change after the pandemic. • Paternal responsiveness was negatively and maternal responsiveness was positively related to adolescents' SMA. • Both paternal and maternal reactive restrictive mediations were positively associated with adolescents' SMA. • Paternal responsiveness moderates the effects of paternal co-use on adolescents' SMA. • Maternal demandingness moderates the effects of maternal rule-setting on adolescents' SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the escalating public concern about pathological use of the Internet among youth, little research has investigated the longitudinal trajectory of the problem and the role of peer support in it. This study aimed to determine the growth trajectory of pathological Internet use (PIU), identify latent subgroups presenting heterogeneous growth trajectories of PIU, and examine the initial status of and the rate of change in peer support as predictors of the growth trajectory of PIU among children and adolescents. Using four-wave longitudinal data from 3,079 Singaporean youth at ages 7–19, we performed Latent Growth Curve Modeling, Latent Class Growth Analysis and Latent Growth Mixture Modeling. Results revealed a downward trajectory of PIU among youth. We identified six latent subgroups, three of which were in pathological status for at least a year. The more rapid improvement in peer support, but not the initial level of peer support, predicted the faster reduction of PIU symptoms during the 3-year period. Findings suggest that although the symptoms of PIU among children and adolescents would decline over time, improving peer support could further alleviate youth PIU. We recommended that intervention programs include a peer support component to mitigate PIU among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the association between parental conflict and adolescents' problematic Internet use (PIU), especially the mediating role of adolescent emotional dysregulation and the moderating role of adolescents' effortful control. About 870 middle school students participated in this survey, reporting on their perceived parental conflict, their own emotional dysregulation, effortful control, and PIU. The results demonstrated that the association between parental conflict and adolescent PIU was completely mediated by adolescent emotional dysregulation. Adolescent effortful control was found to moderate the indirect relation of parental conflict to adolescent PIU, with parental conflict more strongly associated with PIU for adolescents with lower levels of effortful control. Our findings add to the extant insights on how parental conflict could contribute to adolescent PIU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have found that bullying victimization is an important factor affecting depression. However, few studies have explored the underlying mechanism of this effect. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bullying victimization on depression, as well as the mediating roles of internet addiction and sleep quality. The participants were 2022 Chinese junior high school students who completed questionnaires regarding bullying victimization, internet addiction, sleep quality and depression. Correlation analysis indicated that bullying victimization, poor sleep quality, internet addiction, and depression have significant, positive correlations with each other. Hayes' PROCESS macro revealed that internet addiction and sleep quality played multiple mediation roles in the relationship between bullying victimization and depression. These results suggested that effective strategies focusing on improving problematic internet use along with sleep quality may contribute to reducing the negative effect of bullying victimization on depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is currently debated whether specific psychiatric disorders or Internalizing versus Externalizing psychopathological dimensions are associated to Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). We explored this issue in youth with and without IAD referred to a third-level Department of Adolescent Psychiatry during a 12-month period. All the 101 consecutively referred adolescents were assessed using categorical (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School- Age Children-K-SADS) and dimensional (Child Behavior Checklist-CBCL) measures of psychopathology, and two measures for addictive behaviors, Internet Addiction Test (IAT) (used as screening for detecting IAD patients) and Use, Abuse, Dependence on the Internet (UADI) inventory. According to an IAT cutoff score of 50, 39 patients (38.6%) presented IAD. The IAD and the no IAD groups did not differ according to age and gender. Most of the IAD patients (92.3%) endorsed multiple addictions. The IAD group had higher scores in all the UADI dimensions, except for Impact of Life. All the IAD patients endorsed psychiatric diagnoses, but only Autism Spectrum Disorders were more represented in the IAD group. According to the CBCL, patients with IAD had more social problems and anxiety symptoms. However, clusters analysis with the t-scores of the CBCL scales of Internalizing and Externalizing domains showed no differences in IAT and UADI scores among clusters. The small sample size and a selection bias (referrals for severe symptomatology) limit the generalization of the findings. Comorbidity should be systematically assessed in IAD adolescents, with categorical and dimensional measures, as it may guide personalized treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It was aimed to examine smartphone addiction and loneliness among high school students. Design and Method: This descriptive and cross‐sectional research was implemented with 1185 high school students. Data collection tools were "Smartphone Addiction Scale‐Short Version," "UCLA Loneliness Scale," and "Parental Attitude Scale." Findings: As the level of addiction to smartphones rose, the percentage of students feeling lonely dropped (p <.001). Although the students' smartphone addiction was low, the rate of using the smartphone to be relieved of loneliness and for the purpose of the communication was high. Practice Implications: Education programs for improving the communication skills of adolescents that may be instrumental in reducing loneliness would in fact be effective in terms of smartphone usage and feelings of loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) among adolescents (N = 466) and its possible association with emotional problems and quality of life. Students (Mage = 12.8 years; SD = 1.9) from five public schools in a city in the State of São Paulo participated in this study and completed four instruments: a sociodemographic questionnaire; Internet Addiction Test (IAT); Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). No significant differences were detected about the frequency and intensity of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to those who did not have problems with the use of the Internet. No differences were observed between the groups in respect of quality of life either. However, those individuals who felt that their internet use impaired their daily activities presented higher average IAT scores and higher levels of stress. These findings indicated that the perception of internet use was the main variable associated with emotional symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the basic theoretical background and current state of the problem of internet addiction as a new social risk of the hypermodern times. The authors draw attention to the risk potential of the adolescence period, associated in particular with the search for one's own identity and place in society. The presented pilot study is focused on the detection of the condition and occurrence rate of internet addiction manifestations in adolescents of the selected secondary school. The results of the pilot study highlight an increased rate of internet addiction in adolescents. Partial research findings highlight the need for early prevention of internet addiction and point to the inevitable need for school social work in the Slovak republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to determine problems of adolescents with problematic internet use and digital gaming using the Omaha System and to evaluate the results by applying nursing interventions. Data were collected using the Internet Addiction Test, Digital Game Addiction Scale, and Nightingale Notes software. The sample comprised 30 adolescents selected from a total of 125 adolescents with problematic internet use and digital gaming from a high school. Results showed that problematic internet use and digital gaming rates were higher in males compared to females. Seven problems identified most frequently among adolescents were: mental health, vision, pain, sleep and rest patterns, nutrition, social contact, and physical activity. The Omaha System can be used by psychiatric–mental health nurses and school nurses to determine the problems of adolescents with problematic internet use and digital gaming, apply interventions, and evaluate health outcomes. [[Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(12), 51–59.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some studies have revealed that a substantial proportion of the younger population has engaged in problematic gaming with even infants recently being able to enjoy video games. However, the relationship between the risk for problematic gaming and age at which habitual gaming starts remains unknown. This study therefore investigated this relationship among adolescents. Methods: A survey was conducted at eight public junior high schools across Japan. The questionnaire included items regarding the background, night‐time sleep, age at which weekly gaming began, time spent on the Internet and gaming, the Japanese version of Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire, the Ten‐Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT‐10), and others. We analyzed 549 participants who engaged in weekly gaming and have played games during the past year. Results: Among the participants, 1.8% were suspected to have Internet gaming disorder (IGDT‐10 ≥ 5). Bedtime and wake‐up time on weekdays and holidays were significantly later among problematic gamers (IGDT‐10 ≥ 3) than among normal gamers (IGDT‐10 ≤ 2). Onset of weekly gaming before the age of 5 was associated with a significantly higher risk of problematic gaming than onset of weekly gaming after the age of 10. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the risk for problematic gaming was positively associated with a younger age at which weekly gaming begins. Longitudinal problematic gaming prevention, starting from an early stage, is thus necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Familial factors have serious contribution among factors influencing the development of an Adolescents' Internet Addiction. Present review examined some results of research on family factors influencing adolescent problematic internet use. Methods: We examined overall 22 studies published during the period 2013-2018 that included following variables: 1) Parentchild relationship; 2) Family structure and functioning; 3) Parenting approaches; 4) Parental attitude toward internet use; 5) Parental on-line behavior 6) Parental mental health; 7) Family violence. Results: Majority of studies concerned on parent-child relationship reporting that poor quality of such relationship negatively affects adolescent problematic internet use. Parental internet attitude and rules demonstrated ambiguous and gender - dependent data, it seems that overall caring supervision on adolescents daily activity affects negatively problematic internet use and rules in case of boys. Also study revealed variety of assessment tools, which may be the cause of ambiguity in some cases. Review revealed lack of studies concerning on the parental behavior and mental health, though it's obvious that researchers should focus more on those factors. Discussion: Our analysis reported that parent-child relationship affects adolescents online behavior. Family functioning high scores seem to be protective factor. As long as internet plays an important role in contemporary daily lives, it should be considered online behavior of adults who are responsible for the raising children as well as their attitude towards use of internet. Conclusions: Family-related variables need to be regarded while treating problematic internet use in adolescents in direction of more caring atmosphere within family and parents mental health should be considered as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since there is currently no specific instrument for measuring addiction to Social Network Systems (SNSs), in the Iranian adolescent users, the present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) in Iranian students. After translating the long-form English version of the BFAS (18 items) into the Persian language (Farsi) and backward translation into English and comparing them, the Persian version was prepared for administration. A total of 345 students (14–18 years of age) constituted the research sample. The Random Cluster Sampling was employed. Data were analyzed using SPSS and package lavaan, in the R system for statistical computing. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using the Principal Factor Analysis (PFA) and Promax Rotation showed that the questionnaire was composed of five factors, namely withdrawal, relapse, salience, conflict, and mood modification. These factors explained more than 63.09% of the total variance. The internal consistency of the items of the questionnaire using Cronbach's Alpha method was 0.75. The correlation of each item with the total score of the test showed acceptable reliability. The test-retest reliability after 2 weeks of administrating the test was 0.86. The Farsi-BFAS is confirmed in Iranian youth due to good reliability and validity and is applicable for screening and investigating SNSs in the Iranian adolescent users. Additional studies are needed in cases of sensitivity and specificity when compared with other similar instruments for addiction as well as in different populations and circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online activities such as online gaming and social media use have become very popular and for most individuals, engagement in such activities is highly enjoyable. However, for a small minority of individuals, such behaviors can lead to problematic internet use. There are many screening instruments that assess problematic internet use including the nine-item Internet Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IDS9-SF). The present study translated the IDS9-SF into Bangla and investigated its psychometric properties. The sample comprised 534 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (61.0% male; mean age 15.7 years (SD = 1.5) from selected schools (secondary and higher secondary) in Dhaka City. The study included confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and item-total correlation. Results demonstrated that the Bangla IDS9-SF had very good internal validity (Cronbach's alpha =.82), and that IDS score was positively and significantly correlated with scores on depression and anxiety scales. A confirmatory factor analysis showed the model had an excellent fit to the data. Therefore, the Bangla IDS9-SF appears to be a valid and reliable instrument that may be employed in further research on problematic internet use in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Compared to adults, adolescents tend to prefer evening times developmentally. The orientation toward evening times is associated with behavioral and emotional problems. Thus, this study examined the association of circadian preference with sleep-related variables, depression, anxiety, and Internet addiction in Korean adolescents. Materials and Methods: Participants completed the questionnaires measuring sleep pattern, sleep problem, depression, anxiety, and Internet addiction. Results: Among 765 students (age range: 13-17 years), 211 students (Nmale = 134) were allocated into morning types (MT) and 258 adolescents (Nmale = 147) were allocated into evening types (ET) based on scores of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale. Adolescents without circadian preference (N = 296) were defined as neither type (NT). ET, compared to MT and NT, woke up later in the weekend, showed delays in bedtimes, and spent shorter time sleeping. They also reported a higher level of daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and depression than NT. However, the group difference in wake time on school days was not significant, and adolescents showed mild insomnia regardless of their circadian preference. Although smartphone using time in the weekend was significantly different between groups, group difference in Internet addiction was significant only when gender was adjusted. Conclusion: Circadian preference was associated with sleep patterns and sleep problems in Korean adolescents. ET showed significantly different sleep patterns compared to MT and NT. ET not only reported a higher level of daytime sleepiness and insomnia but also more depressive symptoms compared to NT. These findings suggest that the uniqueness of adolescence and environmental factors seemed to influence the association of circadian preference with mental problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet addiction is a serious problem, and the incidence has increased significantly in recent years. In two cross‐sectional studies over a 4‐year period, we investigated Internet addiction in adolescents and evaluated the resulting changes in their lives. Methods: Junior high‐school students (aged 12 to 15 years) were assessed in 2014 (survey I) and in 2018 (survey II). They filled out Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire, and a questionnaire on sleep habits and usage of electric devices. Results: In total, 1,382 students were recruited for the two surveys. The mean IAT score was significantly higher in survey II (36.0 ± 15.2) than in survey I (32.4 ± 13.6) (P < 0.001). The increase in total IAT score indicates that the rate of Internet addiction was significantly higher in 2018 than in 2014. For each subscale of the General Health Questionnaire, social dysfunction scores were significantly lower in survey II than in survey I (P = 0.022). During the weekend, mean total sleep time was 504.8 ± 110.1 min, and the time awake was 08:02 h in survey II; the total sleep time and time awake were significantly longer and later, respectively, in survey II than in survey I (P < 0.001, P = 0.004, respectively). Smartphone use was also significantly higher in survey II than in survey I (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of Internet addiction differed over the 4 years of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]