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Structural characteristics of games have been regarded as important aspects in the possible development of problematic gambling. The most important factors along with individual susceptibility and risk factors of the individual gambler are the structural characteristics such as the speed and frequency of the game (and more specifically event frequency, bet frequency, event duration, and payout interval). To date, the association between structural characteristics and behavior has not been studied in an online gambling environment. The present study investigated the association between structural characteristics and online gambling behavior in an ecologically valid setting using data from actual gamblers. The authors were given access to data from a large European online gambling operator with players from Germany, Austria, UK, Poland, and Slovenia. The sample comprised 763,490 sessions between November 27, 2020 and April 15, 2021 utilizing data from 43,731 players. A machine learning tree-based algorithm with structural characteristics and session metrics explained 26% of the variance of the number of games played in a session. The results also showed that only 7.7% of the variance in the number of bets placed in a session was explained by the game’s structural characteristics alone. The most important structural characteristic with respect to the number of games played in a session was the event frequency of the game followed by the maximum amount won on a single bet in a session.

The Mental Health Inventory-18 (MHI-18) is an 18-item self-report psychometric scale that assesses mental health among general populations. There are several adapted and translated mental health assessment scales in Bangladesh. However, none of these assess the complete state of mental health that the MHI assesses. Consequently, the present study assessed the psychometric properties of the MHI-18 in the Bangladesh context (N = 571). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of the Bangla MHI-18 (i.e., anxiety, depression, behavior control, and positive affect). Second-order tests of measurement invariance suggested that the Bangla MHI-18 assessed the same construct among both male and female groups. The instrument had acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, composite reliability, average variance extracted, standard error of measurement, discrimination power, convergent validity, and concurrent validity. The tests relating to differential item functioning suggested lack of item response bias. Accepted levels of infit and outfit MnSqs, item and person separation, and reliabilities in rating scale model suggested that the Bangla MHI-18 had satisfactory psychometric properties. This will be helpful to Bangladeshi mental health practitioners to assess the complete mental state of young clients and contribute in formulating necessary therapeutic intervention for ensuring sound mental health.

Background: The reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) integrates psychological, neurological, and genetic factors of addictive, impulsive, and compulsive behaviors. However, to date, no instrument has been validated to assess the RDS construct. Aims: The present study developed and tested a tool to assess RDS. Methods: Data were collected on two college and university samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed on Sample 1 ( N = 1726), and confirmatory analysis was conducted on an independent sample ( N = 253). Impulsivity and sensation-seeking were assessed. Results: Based on EFAs, a 29-item Reward Deficiency Syndrome Questionnaire (RDSQ-29) was developed, containing four subscales (lack of sexual satisfaction, activity, social concerns, and risk-seeking behavior). CFA indicated good fit (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.941; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.933; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.068). Construct validity analysis showed strong relationship between sensation-seeking and the RDS scale. Conclusion: The RDSQ-29 is an adequate scale assessing psychological and behavioral aspects of RDS. The RDSQ-29 assesses psychological and behavioral characteristics that may contribute to addictions generally.

Objectives: Empirical research investigating self-compassion is a rapidly developing field, and it is potentially crucial in early adolescence. The primary aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian translation of the Self-Compassion Scale Youth version (SCS-Y) and evaluate its factor structure among young adolescents. The second aim was to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the negative effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on COVID-19-related anxiety. \ud \ud Methods: A sample of young students (n = 532; mean age 13.57 years) completed an online survey, which included the SCS-Y, Patient Health Questionnaire, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Youth Life Orientation Test, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief 10-Item Big Five Inventory. First-order (six-factor) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the SCS-Y. \ud \ud Results: Results showed that the SCS-Y had very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient: 0.88; McDonald’s omega coefficient: 0.90), composite reliability (0.87), and adequate test–retest reliability after 4 weeks (0.60). The first-order (six-factor) CFA and bi-factor ESEM analysis demonstrated the SCS-Y had excellent dimensionality. Further analysis found negative associations between self-compassion with both depression and neuroticism, and positive associations between self-compassion with both resilience and optimism. Moreover, self-compassion moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and anxiety generated by the COVID-19. Overall, the findings indicated that the SCS-Y had acceptable criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. \ud \ud Conclusions: The findings provide evidence that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the six factors of self-compassion among younger adolescents. Based on the study’s findings, self-compassion appears to be a protective factor against mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for younger adolescents.

Background The mediators of the association between familial attitudes toward sexual orientation and internalized homonegativity among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals have not been well examined. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was carried out to examine the (i) associations of familial sexual stigma and family support with internalized homonegativity among young adult LGB individuals in Taiwan, and (ii) mediating effect of self-identity disturbance and the moderating effect of gender. Self-identified LGB individuals (N = 1000; 50% males and 50% females; mean age = 24.6 years) participated in the study. Familial sexual stigma, family support, self-identity disturbance, and internalized homonegativity were assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships between the variables. Results The results indicated that familial sexual stigma was directly associated with increased internalized homonegativity, and indirectly associated with increased internalized homonegativity via the mediation of self-identity disturbance among LGB individuals. Family support was indirectly associated with decreased internalized homonegativity via the mediation of low self-identity disturbance. The direct association between family support and internalized homonegativity was only found among lesbian and bisexual women but not among gay and bisexual men. Conclusions Program interventions for familial sexual stigma, family support, and self-identity disturbance are warranted to help reduce internalized homonegativity among LGB individuals.

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During the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) has become one of the main psycho-metric instruments used in research globally. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Argentinian version of the FCV-19S. More specifically, the study analyzed and com-pared different possible models in order to determine which inter-nal structure fits better for the Argentinian FCV-19S. The sample comprised 505 adults from Argentina between 18 and 85 years (M = 45.44 years; SD = 17.08), of both genders (males = 33.5%; females = 66.5%). The results provided empirical support for a bi-factor structure with a general factor (α = .89) and two specific factors, that is, emotional response (α = .87) and physiological re-sponse (α = .83). Additionally, the associations between the FCV-19S and the Brief Fear of Death Scale (BFODS) provide evidence of validity related to other variables.

Background Psychological research in the past decade has investigated the psychosocial implications of problematic use of on-demand online video streaming services, particularly series watching. Yet, a psychometric measure of problematic series watching in English is not available. Aims The present study aimed to test the factor structure, reliability and criterion-related validity of the English version of the Problematic Series Watching Scale, a six-item self-report assessing problematic series watching, based on the biopsychosocial components model of addiction. Method Participants were recruited from two UK university student samples. Study 1 (n = 333) comprised confirmatory factor analysis, reliability tests and item response theory analyses to test the original unidimensional model and investigate each item's levels of discrimination and information. Study 2 (n = 209) comprised correlation analyses to test the criterion-related validity of the scale. Results There was a good fit of the theoretical model of the scale to the data (Comparative Fit Index = 0.998, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.024 [90% CI 0.000–0.093], Standardised Root Mean square Residual = 0.048), satisfactory reliability (ω = 0.79) and item levels of discrimination and information. The scale positively correlated with time spent watching series (rs = 0.26, P < 0.001) and negative affect (rs = 0.43, P < 0.001), and correlated negatively with positive affect (rs = −0.12, P > 0.05), mental well-being (rs = −0.25, P < 0.001) and sleep quality (rs = −0.14, P < 0.05). Conclusions Results are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate on binge watching and series watching in the context of positive reinforcement versus problematic behaviour.

The present study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and body dissatisfaction among young women. The mechanisms through which childhood trauma are related to body dissatisfaction have not been sufficiently examined previously. The aims of the present study were to analyze the (i) relationships between childhood trauma, self-criticism, and body dissatisfaction and (ii) mediating role of self-criticism in the relationship between childhood trauma and body dissatisfaction. A total of 754 young adult women aged 18 to 30 years participated (M = 20.49 years; SD = 2.28). The findings showed positive correlations between childhood trauma, self-criticism, and body dissatisfaction. The mediation model indicated that (i) greater childhood trauma was associated with greater self-criticism, and (ii) greater self-criticism was significantly associated with greater body dissatisfaction. Therefore, childhood trauma was indirectly associated with increased body dissatisfaction and explained by the positive relationship with increased self-criticism. These results highlight the importance of childhood trauma in body dissatisfaction among young adult women and demonstrates self-criticism coping style as a key factor in this relationship. Early detection of self-criticism-based coping styles and childhood trauma could improve (i) quality of life and prevent the onset of body dissatisfaction, and (ii) treatment planning and prevent body dissatisfaction from escalating into major problems (e.g., eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, morbid exercise and/or depressive symptomatology).

In recent years researchers have emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms as a tool to detect problem gambling online. AI algorithms require a training dataset to learn the patterns of a prespecified group. Problem gambling screens are one method for the collection of the necessary input data to train AI algorithms. The present study’s main aim was to identify the most significant behavioral patterns which predict self-reported problem gambling. In order to fulfil the aim, the study analyzed data from a sample of real-world online casino players and matched their self-report (subjective) responses concerning problem gambling with the participants’ actual (objective) gambling behavior. More specifically, the authors were given access to the raw data of 1,287 players from a European online gambling casino who answered questions on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) between September 2021 and February 2022. Random forest and gradient boost machine algorithms were trained to predict self-reported problem gambling based on the independent variables (e.g., wagering, depositing, gambling frequency). The random forest model predicted self-reported problem gambling better than gradient boost. Moreover, problem gamblers showed a distinct pattern with respect to their gambling based on the player tracking data. More specifically, problem gamblers lost more money per gambling day, lost more money per gambling session, and deposited money more frequently per gambling session. Problem gamblers also tended to deplete their gambling accounts more frequently compared to non-problem gamblers. A subgroup of problem gamblers identified as being at greater harm (based on their response to PGSI items) showed even higher values with respect to the aforementioned gambling behaviors. The study showed that self-reported problem gambling can be predicted by AI algorithms with high accuracy based on player tracking data.

In recent years, account-based player tracking data have been utilized as a potential tool to identify problem gambling online and associated markers of harm. One established marker of harm among problem gamblers is chasing losses, and chasing losses is a key criterion for gambling disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Given the paucity of research with respect to chasing losses among online casino players using account-based data, the present study developed five metrics that may be indicative of chasing behavior: These were (i) within-session chasing, (ii) across-session chasing, (iii) across-days chasing, (iv) regular gambling account depletion, and (v) frequent session depositing. The authors were given access by a European online casino to raw data of all players who had placed at least one bet or wagered at least once during December 2021 (N = 16,771 players from the UK, Spain, and Sweden). Results indicated that frequent session depositing reflected chasing losses better than any of the other four metric operationalizations used. While frequent session depositing appears to be more indicative of chasing losses than the other four metrics, all the metrics provide useful information which can be used to help identify problematic gambling behavior online.

The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) is one of commonly used measurement tools to assess smartphone addiction. However, studies concerning the psychometric properties, invariance, and network structure of the SAS as well as profiles of smartphone addiction are rare in China. Therefore, the psychometric properties of the SAS, its invariance and network structure, and a latent profile analysis were investigated among Chinese university students in the present study. A sample of 2531 participants from Chinese universities (1003 males [39.6%], mean age = 20.4 years [SD = 1.3 years]) completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ), and the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire (PCPU-Q). A total of 17 items were selected from the original SAS using item analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance showed good validity and reliability for the revised Chinese Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-RC). In item-level and facet-level networks, “withdrawal” and “daily-life disturbance” had the stronger edge intensity. There were no significant differences in either network structure or global strength between males and females through the item-level and facet-level network comparison tests (NCTs). Three profiles of smartphone use (normal smartphone use, high-risk smartphone use, and smartphone addiction) were identified among Chinese university students. The SAS-RC demonstrates good psychometric properties and invariance and is suitable to use among Chinese university students. “Withdrawal” (i.e., psychological dependence) and “daily-life disturbance” appear to play contributory roles as core symptom of smartphone addiction. The three profiles also provide new insight into smartphone use and addiction among Chinese university students.

Background In online environments, fear of missing out (FoMO) is where individuals become constantly preoccupied with what others are doing online and feel unable to log off in case they miss something. FoMO is a concept associated with the use of online social media (OSM; e.g., Facebook use, Instagram use) and various scales have been developed to assess the concept. One such scale is the Online Fear of Missing Out (On-FoMO) Inventory. The present study translated the On-FoMO Inventory into Turkish and its main aim was to test the validity and reliability of the scale. The secondary aim was to investigate the relationships between FoMO, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, and life satisfaction. Methods A total of 419 participants (289 females and 130 males, mean age = 25.43 years, SD = 6.37) completed a self-report questionnaire including the On-FoMO Inventory, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. In the adaptation process of the On-FoMO Inventory, confirmatory factor analysis, concurrent validity, and reliability analyses were performed. Results The four-factor structure of the On-FoMO Inventory was confirmed and the Turkish version of the scale demonstrated good reliability. Online FoMO was positively related to social media addiction and smartphone addiction, and negatively related to life satisfaction. Conclusion The results showed that the Turkish version of the On-FoMO Inventory has strong psychometric properties.

The present paper reviews recent studies on problematic internet use (PIU) prevalence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several pre-pandemic meta-analyses reported PIU prevalence estimates ranging from 6% to 9.7%. Experts in the field of online addictions speculated that PIU would increase during the pandemic because of increased time spent on the internet. However, it is still unclear if increased time on the internet resulted in higher PIU prevalence estimates during the pandemic. Prevalence estimates differed greatly across studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possible inconsistencies are outlined together with future directions for PIU prevalence studies.

Aim: To examine the role of demographic factors, mindfulness, and perceived stress on resilience among nurses.\ud \ud Background: Resilience is an important attribute in the nursing profession although factors affecting it are very diverse. Knowing these factors may help in enhancing nurses’ resilience and their subsequent quality healthcare delivery.\ud \ud Method: Utilizing a cross-sectional descriptive survey, a convenience sample was recruited to answer questions assessing resilience, perceived stress, and mindfulness in Taiwan between October and November 2021. Independent t-tests, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and hierarchical regression were used to analyse the data.\ud \ud Results: A total of 816 nurses participated in the study. Postgraduate degree nurses had lower perceived stress (p=0.006) and higher resilience (p=0.003) compared to their college and undergraduate counterparts. Nurses working in internal medicine had significantly higher levels of perceived stress (p=0.006) and lower levels of mindfulness (p=0.005) compared to those in other departments. Single nurses had significantly higher levels of mindfulness (p=0.04) but lower levels of resilience (p=0.049) than those who were married. Educational level, perceived stress, and mindfulness were all factors that influenced nurses’ resilience.\ud \ud Conclusion: Higher educational levels, perceived stress, and mindfulness appear to influence nurses’ resilience. Nurses should therefore be encouraged to upgrade themselves academically, attend refresher courses, and learn adaptive coping strategies.\ud \ud Implications for nursing management: Hospital authorities should help nurses deal with stressful issues, and offer career development opportunities to update, upgrade and enhance their skillsets in the profession.

Little is known about the psychological consequences of the recently increased utilization of video conferencing, which has enabled life to proceed as close to normal as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the psychological consequences of this recent global lifestyle change in different populations, the psychometric validation of the Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue Scale (ZEFS) and the relationship of this construct with academic well-being, mental well-being, and life satisfaction are presented. In a sample of 470 Turkish university students (57% female, Mage= 20.26 + 2.18, ranging between 18 to 33 years), first-order and second-order CFAs confirmed the construct validity of the scale, and IRT results yielded appropriate item difficulty and discrimination. ZEFS scores were significantly and positively associated with anxiety, depression, and stress, and negatively associated with life satisfaction and academic well-being, supporting the scale's concurrent validity. Incremental validity was shown with mediational models demonstrating significant and separate indirect effects of ZEF on life satisfaction and academic well-being, both mediated by psychological distress. The results suggest ZEFS to be a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the psychological consequences of videoconferencing, which has globally increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, in non-Western samples. By showing the relationships of Zoom exhaustion and fatigue with psychological distress, life satisfaction, and academic well-being, the present study highlights potential avenues to be addressed in order to protect the mental well-being of all individuals that have integrated videoconferencing as part of their daily lives.

A lot of previous research has highlighted the negative consequences of Internet addiction. However, relatively few is known about the underlying mechanism for Internet addiction among college students in relation to family function. The present study explored the relationship between family function and Internet addiction among college students, as well as the mediating effects of alexithymia and loneliness. A sample of 783 Chinese college students were administered a number of psychometric scales including the “General Function” subscale of the Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale. The results showed that family function was negatively associated with Internet addiction; the association was significantly mediated by alexithymia; the association was significantly mediated by loneliness; and alexithymia and loneliness sequentially mediated the association. The total mediating effect was 63.96%. The results of the present study are of great significance to the prevention and intervention of Internet addiction among college students.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health, contributing to increase the feeling of loneliness, the psychological distress, and the gaming involvement. Despite accumulating data in the field of gaming, the research examining the psychological determinants of gaming severity, especially in the unique circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic, is still in its infancy. The aim of the present study was to examine, for the first time, the role of mentalization in gaming and to clarify the pattern of associations between loneliness, psychological distress, and problematic gaming behavior, as well as the mediating role of mentalizing in this relationship during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Methods: A total of 466 adults aged 18-29 years completed an online survey including the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results: Regression analysis showed that male gender, anxiety, hypermentalizing, and loneliness were good predictors of problematic gaming behavior. The path analysis indicated that gender predicted gaming directly, whereas anxiety and loneliness contributed to gaming both directly and indirectly via hypermentalizing. Conclusions: The present study is the first to examine the role of mentalizing in gaming during COVID-19 pandemic and provide insight into the interrelationships between mentalization, psychological distress, perceived loneliness, and problematic gaming behavior, demonstrating that an inaccurate mentalization has a key role in contributing to problematic gaming. The study provides a useful contribution for prevention of gaming severity and indicates that specific intervention on mentalizing could be effective in reducing problematic gaming by reducing levels of both anxiety and perceived loneliness., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 10, No 1 (2022)

The present study examined the value perceptions of Turkish and British children according to various variables and determined to what extent traditional and videogame genres preferred by children predict their value perceptions, dominant case design, one of the mixed research designs, was used. While the quantitative approach was mainly used in the research, the qualitative approach was used as a supporter. The data collection process of the study lasted for two academic years. In the first year, the study was conducted with 243 primary school students studying in Nottingham (England). In the following year it was conducted with 267 primary school students studying in Ankara (Turkey). A total of 510 primary school students with ages ranging from 9-11 years were recruited for the study. Data were collected using the "Personal Information Form" and "Moral Dilemma Stories Inventory for Children". Both were developed in English and then adapted into Turkish. It was found that, in both sample, girls' value perception scores were significantly higher than boys' scores. Videogames primarily produced for entertainment were the most preferred games by Turkish and British children while educational and serious videogames were the least preferred. Traditional games in sports (soccer, cricket, etc.) were preferred more by British children, while traditional action games (dodgeball, playing tag etc.) were preferred more by Turkish children. It was found that action-adventure and role-playing videogames predicted children's value perception negatively, and simulation and puzzle videogame genres predicted children's value perceptions positively. Furthermore, movement-based traditional games (sports, action) predicted children's value perceptions positively, while traditional competitive (racing) games predicted children's value perceptions negatively.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 outbreak and related lockdowns brought substantial changes in people’s lives and led to concerns about possible increases of addictive behaviors at the initial stages of the pandemic. To examine these concerns, the aim of the present study was to assess longitudinal changes in addictive and problematic behaviors (i.e., problematic social media use, Internet gaming disorder, gambling disorder, problematic pornography use, and compulsive sexual behavior disorder) over time during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThree waves of data collection took place in different stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hungary in a general population, from the first wave of lockdowns to the second and third waves of restrictions (May, 2020; NT1 = 1747; June–August, 2020; NT2 = 656; January, 2021; NT3 = 411). Latent growth curve models were calculated to assess the potential changes in addictive and problematic behaviors over time.ResultsLatent growth curve models showed that the sample varied in their initial scores, but there were no significant changes over time in any of the examined behaviors, except for compulsive sexual behavior disorder, which demonstrated a small but significant increase (i.e., positive and significant slope factor). However, the rate of this change was negligible. Overall, there were no noteworthy changes over time regarding any of the examined addictive and problematic behaviors.ConclusionContrary to initial concerns, no substantial changes over time were observed regarding the examined addictive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns. These findings indicate that those who had no previous problem with these addictive behaviors, might have not developed a problem, and those who had problem with either of the behaviors previously, might have not experienced a significant increase in their symptoms.

BackgroundsThe range of theoretical conceptualizations of problematic exercise in psychometric assessment instruments makes it difficult to identify the components that define this phenomenon. A better understanding of the underlying components of problematic exercise may contribute to progress toward providing scientific evidence that allows for deciding whether problematic exercise should be considered a substantive mental health disorder. The objective of the present review was to examine and compare, through a content analysis of their items, the components of problematic exercise in psychometric assessment instruments identified in a recent systematic review.MethodsA total of 33 components of problematic exercise were identified in the 17 assessment instruments included in the present review.ResultsThe results show that, despite the lack of consensus in the operational definition of their factors and the variety of ways of wording their items, the instruments reflect some common components that might indicate core criteria (i.e., salience, withdrawal, and mood modification) or candidate components (i.e., conflict, and continuance despite problems) of problematic exercise. However, other components of different nature were shown to be specific to some of the problematic exercise conceptualizations on which the assessment instruments are based.ConclusionIn the interest of reaching a consensus that allows to advance in this research field, further studies are needed to resolve which components are inherently problematic.

Exercise addiction is a morbid-compulsive behavioral pattern characterized by a loss of control over exercise and which results in major detrimental consequences in the affected individual's life. Although the condition is not formally recognized in official psychiatric texts, exercise addiction can lead to clinical impairment of everyday activities just like other more traditional addictions. This has led to the development of many instruments to assess exercise addiction. One of the most widely used instruments is the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) which has been translated into a number of languages and has separate versions of the scale for adults and adolescents (i.e., the EAI-Y for youth). However, there are currently no Persian versions. Therefore, the present study translated the EAI into Persian and assessed its psychometric properties using Rasch analysis among both Iranian adults (n = 745, age range = 19-30 years, 60.53% female) and Iranian adolescents (n = 562, age range = 13-18 years, 62.45% female). An online survey was used to collect data from September to November 2021. Confirmatory factor analyses and the Rasch analyses confirmed the unidimensional structure of the EAIs and good reliability using the Omega coefficient (.71 to .72). Also, separation reliability on item, scale, and person-level was established, along with supported measurement invariance, demonstrating that EAI can discriminate individuals on a high or low level of exercise addiction independent of their age and gender. Overall, the Persian EAI demonstrated sound psychometrics in screening for exercise addiction among Iranian adults and adolescents.

Background: Sleep is a vital physiological process regulated by the circadian clock and homeostatic mechanisms. Shift work is necessary to ensure continuity of healthcare provision. Worldwide, nurses work night shifts on a rotational or permanent basis.\ud \ud Objective: To analyse the impact of circadian rhythm disruption due to night shift work on the mental wellbeing of nurses.\ud \ud Methods: The literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus electronic databases. Selection criteria include studies published in English between 1997 and 2021 that examined the impact of night-shift work on the mental health of nurses.\ud \ud Results: The searches generated a total of 22 records on the PubMed database, and 9 records on the Scopus database, and a total of 31 studies. 29 papers were identified after removal of duplicates. However, 29 articles were screened based on the review of titles and abstracts. 19 articles were identified for full-test review. Seven papers were included in this review.\ud \ud Conclusions: Disrupted circadian rhythms and poor sleep quality and quantity have been identified as two of the most significant elements in the long-term effects of night-shift work on nurses' mental health. Strategies and policies to promote workplace health may reduce the occurrence of mental health disorders among night-shift nurses, whether the shifts are rotational or permanent. Nursing supervisors and hospital administrators should consider developing new guidelines to minimize the negative impact of night shift rotations on mental health and the quality of life among nurses.

Increasing technological advancements and changing consumer behavior has resulted in individuals having access to a wider range of online gambling markets and sporting events than ever before. Sports betting in real time has been aided by the accessibility of smartphone devices. Consequently, the popularity of live sports betting (i.e., ‘in-play’ betting) has spread across Europe and around the rest of world. The aim of the present exploratory study was to examine attitudes and opinions towards online sports betting. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 males and 2 females aged between 21 and 32 years. Participants were asked a range of semi-structured interview questions based on pre-determined topic areas. Socio-demographic data were collected and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) was used to assess problem gambling. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis in order to identify themes. Analysis of the transcripts identified several notable areas including the ease of engaging in in-play sports betting, motivations for engaging in in-play sports betting (including increased excitement, demonstrating knowledge/skill and response to live odds), and different reasons for using the ‘cash-out’ feature. The findings will contribute to the design of future research investigating in-play sports betting behaviours.

Sedentary behaviours are highly associated with obesity and other important health outcomes in adolescence. This paper reviews screen time and its role within school-based behavioural interventions targeting adolescents between the years 2007 and 2019. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across five major databases to identify interventions targeting screen time—in addition to TV/DVD viewing. The review identified a total of 30 papers analysing 15 studies across 16 countries aiming at addressing reduction of recreational screen time (internet use and gaming) in addition to television/DVD viewing. All of the interventions focused exclusively on behaviour change, targeting in the majority both reduction of sedentary behaviours along with strategies to increase physical activity levels. A mix of intervention effects were found in the reviewed studies. Findings suggest aiming only for reduction in time spent on screen-based behaviour within interventions could be a limited strategy in ameliorating excessive screen use, if not targeted, in parallel, with strategies to address other developmental, contextual and motivational factors that are key components in driving the occurrence and maintenance of adolescent online behaviours. Additionally, it raises the need for a differential treatment and assessment of each online activity within the interventions due to the heterogeneity of the construct of screen time. Recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of school-based sedentary behaviour interventions and implications for public policy are discussed.

Research into normative sexual interests (e.g., paraphilias, fetishes, and unusual sexual practices) mainly collect qualitative data because of the low occurrence of such behaviors. Moreover, the majority of studies using qualitative data have focused solely on sexual practices as they occur in 'real-life' and have neglected sensory aspects of sexual experiences, as well as alternative representations of sexual practices (e.g., screen media, literary texts, etc.). This is particularly relevant to non-normative sexual interests, as many of these may involve arousal from an ostensibly sensory activity. This paper first considers the subjects of four previously published studies examining feederism, eproctophilia, necrophilia, and zoophilia. It examines their methodological approaches in more detail, as a means of displaying how attention to sensory aspects and alternative representations may add further insight. We then examine some of our own data on dacryphilia (sexual arousal from crying) using data two previously published papers. These data are discussed in relation to the literature on sensory-based approaches to data analysis (e.g., visual methods) and other analytic techniques that may be suited to alternative representations of sexual practices as well as outlining four distinct types of crying data (visual crying, aural crying, written crying, screen crying). The data suggest that participants with dacryphilic interests orient towards sensory aspects and alternative representations. These sensory aspects of experience are worthy of further exploration and the paper highlights that there are contemporary data collection and analytic frameworks in which to do this (e.g., visual methods, interpretative phenomenological analysis).

A systematic review of empirical studies that used quantitative, qualitative, or a mixed-methods approach to content analysis sports betting advertising was conducted. Study attributes were examined including the main findings, key themes, research design, focus of analysis, type of interpretation, use of theory, media type, inter-coder reliability measures, and recommendations for future studies. The findings showed that the studies (N=15) were all published relatively recently (since 2012), predominantly focused on the content of television advertisements, and there was a general lack of reporting on inter-coder reliability. The narratives most commonly identified within sports betting advertisements were friendship and humour. Advertisements were found to be embedded into professional sports games, and this type of advertising occurred more frequently when compared to commercial advertising during televised sporting events. In order to enhance the sports betting advertising literature, researchers need to ensure that they are meeting scientific standards, especially when it comes to reliability measures. Such studies can add to an understanding of how sports betting advertisements are presented to the public and infer what the potential impact of the availability and exposure of these advertisements may be.

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) are two interrelated constructs which have received significant research attention over the past decade. The present study investigated the relationship between self-construal (distinguished as independent and interdependent), PSU and PSMU with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a mediating variable. The sample comprised 405 Italian students who completed standardized psychometric scales assessing the variables of the study. Bivariate correlations analysis showed that FoMO and independent self-construal was significantly and negatively associated. On the contrary, interdependent self-construal was significantly and positively associated with FoMO, PSU, and PSMU. Mediation analysis showed that FoMO mediated the relationship between self-construal and both PSMU and PSU, but at different levels. The results demonstrated that FoMO full mediated the relationships between interdependent self and PSU, whereas only partial mediation was found between interdependent self and PSMU. Therefore, taking these personality characteristics into account may help reduce dysfunctional behaviour associated with problematic technology use and promote psychological well-being among students. However, it is recommended that further studies replicate the proposed model by including other psychological constructs.

Like other vulnerable groups, the pandemic has severely and negatively impacted marginalized groups, including migrant laborers, documented and undocumented migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and asylum seekers. The present study briefly reviewed cases of attempted and completed suicide while also examining their causality among national and international migrant workers, migrants, IDPs, refugees, and asylum seekers during the ongoing pandemic. This study utilized retrospective extraction of suicide-related information from earlier published press reports. With regards to COVID-19-related suicides, this method has had widespread acceptability and has previously been extensively used in countries of SouthEast Asia for reporting suicides in academic journals. The authors located 26 relatively complete details of migrant worker suicides and suicide attempts from India and Singapore and 46 cases of migrant suicides from Malaysia with partially complete details. Lockdown-related health, job, and financial uncertainties coupled with pandemic-related emotional as well as mental stressors were some of the reported reasons for the alleged Citation

Two recent papers in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions by Brand et al. (2020), and Sassover and Weinstein (2020) both make interesting additions to the place of behavioral addictions in the more general addictive behaviors field. This commentary discusses some of the further nuances in the debates surrounding whether problematic engagement in social networking, pornography, and buying/shopping should be considered as possible 'disorders due to addictive behaviors' in the ICD-11. Particular emphasis in this commentary is placed on social network use disorder and its delineation. While there is growing evidence that addictions to sex, pornography, social network sites, exercise, work, and buying/shopping may be genuine disorders among a minority of individuals, none of these behaviors is likely to be included in formal psychiatric manuals in the near future until there is more high-quality data on all research fronts (e.g., epidemiological, neurobiological, psychological, and clinical).

The problematic use of Instagram in the form of addiction has gained increasing credibility and attention in recent years, leading to the development of several psychometric instruments to assess the behavior. One recently developed tool is the 15-item Instagram Addiction Scale (IAS-15). The IAS-15 comprises two subscales assessing social effect and compulsion. In the present study, the IAS-15 was translated into Italian, and its reliability and validity were tested among 398 Italians (101 males, 297 females) aged 18 to 78 years (mean age M=37 years; SD=11). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor solution. Furthermore, the scale showed good internal consistency. Additionally, Instagram addiction was positively associated with social phobia, depression, anxiety, stress, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, and internet use disorder while being negatively associated with age, perceived quality of life, and quality of sleep. Based on the findings, the IAS-15 is a valid and reliable psychometric instrument to assess Instagram addiction among Italian adults.

Social networking sites (SNSs) are now used by billions of users worldwide and can help facilitate communication and the sharing of information. However, there is evidence that problematic SNS use (PSNSU) can have negative effects on health. The present study examined the associations between PSNSU, sleep quality, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety and stress among SNS users. A total of 638 SNS users (mean age = 32.03 years, SD = 10.08) completed an online survey comprising instruments assessing SNS addiction, sleep quality, ADHD, depression, anxiety and stress. Regression analysis indicated that the factors of age (β = − .24, p β = − .09, p β = .43, p β = .12, p r = .24, p R2 = .06), ADHD (r = .47, p R2 = .22), depression (r = .32, p R2 = .10), anxiety (r = .38, p R2 = .14) and stress (r = .34, p R2 = .12). The study demonstrated that PSNSU was associated with psychopathological and psychiatric disorders symptoms, the findings will help inform future interventions for reducing and tackling PSNSU.