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Introduction: Craving has been linked to situational and emotional psychological processes (DiFranza et al., 2012) in substance use disorders. Few studies have evaluated the influence of emotional dimensions through affectivity (Watson D, & Clark LA., 1984) on craving (Zuo et al., 2016) and the impact of alexithymia which represents the major disorder of emotional regulation in addiction (Thorberg et al., 2009). Objectives: The main objective of this review is to bring together studies on the emotional dynamic of craving by simultaneously considering affects (negative and positive) and alexithymia. Methods: A systematic review complying with the PRISMA protocol was conducted, and identified 23 studies targetting craving for addictions with substances. Results: As much as 20 of the 23 studies selected show a correlation between affectivity, alexithymia and craving; highlighting 55% of direct links and 48% of partial links. Studies on negative affects (78%) put forth their causal link in the triggering of craving, while studies on positive affectivity (26%) present it as a moderating element in the intensity of craving. Finally, studies on alexithymia (17%) show its effects on emotional reactivity in negative affectivity situations. Conclusions: The results confirm the impact of emotional processes on craving by highlighting the distinct and interdependent roles of negative affectivity, positive affectivity and alexithymia. These aspects of the psychological functioning will therefore have to be target elements in the care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Video games are part of our society's major entertainments. This is now a global industry that covers the preferential activity of adolescents. But for some, the practice goes beyond a game and becomes an addictive functioning. Clinical practice is then faced with a new problem. It is important to understand the special bond that develops between a player and his/her video game in order to understand the addictive process., Background: The game consists of a virtual world, a graphical construction that is a simulation of reality and which reinvents the laws that govern it. It also consists of a character embodied by the player who controls it: the avatar. Through the virtual world and avatar, the game offers the player a virtual personification that matches his/her expectations and projected ideal. The avatar allows the subject to compensate, or even to modify some aspects of the Self and thus enhance his/her perception of him/herself; the virtual life become more satisfying than real life., Objectives: The aim of this research is to propose, from the study of the relationship between psychosocial variables (self-perception and life satisfaction) and the adolescent's practice of video games, elements of construction of an explanatory model of video gambling addiction., Methods: The population of this research is composed of 74 adolescents aged 11-14 years (m(age)=12.78 and SD=0.921). Fourteen are identified as addicted to video games by the results of the Game Addiction Scale. The quantitative methodology allows measurement of the different psychosocial variables which appear important in the addictive process. The instruments used are: the Game Addiction Scale, the Self-Perception Profile and the Satisfaction with Life Scale., Results: The results show that adolescents addicted to video games see their virtual and current Self as being less proficient than other teenagers. Furthermore, teenagers addicted to video games see their virtual Self as more proficient and adapted to the environment than their current Self. Moreover, adolescents addicted perceive their lives as less satisfying than others'. Hence, virtual life is perceived as more satisfying than real life among teenagers addicted to video games. Finally, this virtual experience is thus one of the factors that explain the addiction to video games. Through the game, the teenager can "live" a new version of him/herself, becoming secondarily alienating. The virtual world supplants real life and becomes the source of a clash of identity., (Copyright © 2012 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to support the existence of emotional dimensions common to anxiety and depressive symptomatology, and confirm the common elements of emotional vulnerability, characterized by negative affectivity and alexithymia. The second objective of this study was the identification of characteristics specific to each disorder. We made three assumptions: there is a significant relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms, exists on community processes between these two entities, objectified by the sub dimensions of negative affectivity and the difficulty in identifying emotions certain dimensions are specific to each disorder., Method: The study participants were students from 1st to 4th year of the University of Provence. The sample consisted of 317 subjects (77% female and 23% male; mean age=20, 61 ± 1.55 years), who gave written informed consent and completed questionnaires collectively. We administered a protocol to the subjects consisting of three self-assessment scales to assess emotional dimensions and anxiety and depressive symptomatology. The dimensions of affectivity were assessed by the EPN-31. It consists of 31 items grouped into three factors: positive emotions, negative emotions and feelings of surprise. The emotional functioning was assessed by the scale of the Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). It allows an overall assessment of the level of alexithymia, as well as three dimensions as represented by specific sub scales: difficulty identifying emotions (DIE), difficulty differentiating emotions (DDE), and externally oriented thinking (EOT). This scale is most used in the assessment of alexithymia. The anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed by the subscale of anxiety and depression of the SCL90-R. This scale is widely used in screening for psychiatric symptoms, and has been validated internationally., Statistical Analysis: we performed descriptive analysis, correlational analysis (Bravais-Pearson's correlation) and hierarchical multiple regression using SPSS 15 software., Results: The results validate our assumptions, showing that women are more anxious (M=6.68 ± 6.20 ; P=0.02) and more depressed (M=10.61 ± 8.73 ; P=0.01) than men (mean-anxiety=4.77 ± 4.97 ; mean-depression-6=7.75 ; 53). They also have more "difficulty" identifying feelings (M=17.92 ± 5.95, P=0.01) than men (m=15.65 ± 6.00). The analysis of relationships between the different variables shows the existence of several significant connections. Among them we find a strong positive correlation (r>.50 ; P=0.01) between anxiety and depression. Moreover, these two symptoms maintain strong relationships (r>.50; P=0.01) with negative affectivity, moderate and negative with positive affectivity (r>.30; P=0.01), and moderate and low with emotional activation (r>.10; P=0.01). There are also significant relationships between affective symptoms and emotional dimensions of alexithymia: difficulty identifying feelings (r>.40; P=0.01) and difficulty describing emotions (r>.20; P=0.01). Finally, the regression analysis shows, for the anxiety factor, which only contribute significantly following dimensions: gender, negative affectivity, emotional activation and the two sub dimensions of alexithymia "difficulty identifying feelings" and "externally oriented thoughts", which explain 43% of the variance in scores (R(2)=.43, P=0.0001). Depression shares with the following dimensions: gender, negative affectivity, difficulty in identifying emotions, and includes a specific dimension, positive affectivity. This model explains 51% of the variance (R(2)=. 51, P=0.0001). However, the lack of contribution of emotional activation and "externally oriented thoughts" must be emphasized., Discussion: Our study reveals the existence of a "common nucleus of vulnerability" characterized by negative affectivity associated with difficulty identifying emotions. Specific dimensions nevertheless appear to exist, and depression is strongly explained by low positive affect (anhedonia dimension); anxiety associated specifically to emotional activation and finally thought outward, marking the size limitation. The imaginary life in alexithymia, appears to operate in depression, perhaps as a mechanism of emotional repression. The involvement of alexithymia in the functioning of the affective disorder is confirmed, this helps to clarify the modalities of therapeutic care that we offer., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Introduction: Risk-taking behaviors among adolescents are now considered as a real public health issue. To investigate for potential vulnerability factors, adolescent risk-taking behavior can be analyzed from several different perspectives, based on biological, social or psychological variables. Risk-taking theories based on temperamental dimensions examine individual differences in propensity for engaging in such behaviors, whereas others focused on emotional processing disorder such as alexithymia or anhedonia with diverse conclusions. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between risk taking and two levels of psychological functioning: personality with reference to Cloninger's model of personality, and emotion with reference to Lane and Schwartz's level of emotional awareness theory., Method: The sample consisted in 488 adolescents (m(age)=14.93, SD=1.44) with 257 boys (m(age)=15, SD=1.51) and 231 girls (m(age)=14.52, SD=1.23) who completed a set of three inventories: the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Scale (YRBSS), the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, and the Level of Emotional Awareness Scale. Risk-taking behaviors were also assessed indirectly with regards to teachers or school educators' evaluation., Results: Moderate to weak significant correlations were found between temperament dimensions and risk-taking, and between level of emotional awareness and risk-taking. A positive moderate correlation was observed between novelty and risk-taking, whereas a negative weak correlation was observed between harm avoidance and risk-taking. Level of emotional awareness shows moderate negative correlations with risk-taking, as the two self and others dimensions. Finally, a model including the four temperament and the two emotional awareness dimensions was tested with risk-taking as the outcome variable. It accounted for 33% of the total variance (R(2)=0.33; F=30.78, p<0.0001), with novelty seeking (p<0.0001), self (p<0.0001) and others (p=0.0001), and level of emotional awareness as significant criteria., Discussion: As hypothesized, temperamental dispositions of novelty seeking and harm avoidance, associated with weak emotional awareness, were associated with risk-taking. They may be considered as vulnerability factors for adolescents to engage in risk-taking behaviors. Several propositions may explain our results. First, risk-taking might be considered as an attempt to struggle against a sensation of emptiness due to a lack of emotion. Second, it may tend to replace emotion by sensations, which could be more controlled. Third, it could be an attempt - without success - to construct the complexity of subjective emotional experience., (Copyright © 2011 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)