Browse
Abstract
Background and Aims
Gaming disorder (GD) is a prevalent and complex issue that has recently been recognized as a condition that impairs mental health, underscoring the urgent need for early prevention measures. This evaluation study examined the effectiveness of the Digital Netizen Alliance (D.N.A.) program, a new multicomponent positive psychology program for preventing GD and bolstering mental wellness among Chinese children.
Methods
Drawing on gamification and positive psychology principles, the program builds four key positive skills collectively referred to as the P-A-G-E framework: psychological resilience, active coping, growth mindset, and emotion regulation. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 264 primary school pupils attending fourth, fifth, or sixth grade in Hong Kong (63% female; mean age = 10.83, SD = 1.18).
Results
The findings revealed that participation in the program effectively promoted active coping, a growth mindset, and emotion regulation. Moreover, program participation alleviated GD symptoms and reduced negative affect. These desirable changes were fully explained by the P-A-G-E framework.
Discussion and Conclusions
The new D.N.A. program, which cultivates the positive psychology skills specified in the P-A-G-E framework, facilitates favorable psychological changes among children. These results emphasize the importance of using multicomponent frameworks for interventions targeting GD prevention.
Abstract
This study aims to examine the organisational change within the framework of internationalisation in doctoral programmes of educational studies (DPEd) in the Hungarian context. The literature on internationalisation overwhelmingly projects the perspectives of international students, whereas the experiences of faculty and staff are missing from the overall picture. We seek to mediate this gap by scrutinising the experiences of educational professionals. The transitioning condition of the nationally shaped educational field is under the strong imperative to internationalise pursuing an interrelated set of objectives. The study's theoretical framework is built on the interlinked conceptual grounds of the internationalisation of doctoral programmes and the policy implementation in educational studies including teacher education. Dialectic theory as a change framework opted for this study that accounts for colliding forces in higher education. Ten narratives of educational professionals depict idiosyncratic experiences contributing to country and actors' representation saturating this field of educational policy. The results attest to layers of converging trends in DPEd and diverging practical responses.
Abstract
Background and aims
Unemployment rates are elevated among individuals with disordered gambling, yet the directionality of the relationship remains unclear. The present study investigated paid and unpaid unemployment as risk factors for future gambling disorder (GD).
Methods
The study employed a case-control design, including all adult Norwegians receiving a GD diagnosis within specialist health services from January 2008 to December 2018 (n = 5,131). These individuals were compared with age- and sex-matched controls from the general population (n = 30,164), as well as controls with somatic and psychiatric diagnoses (n = 30,476).
Results
Logistic regressions showed that those in the highest quartile of unpaid unemployment days had more than double the odds (odds ratio [OR] 2.23 (95% CI [1.96, 2.52]) of developing GD compared to those with no unpaid unemployment days. Similarly, higher levels of paid unemployment were also found to increase the odds for GD, with those in the highest quartile having an OR of 1.86 (95% CI [1.50, 2.28]) compared to those with no paid unemployment days. Moreover, an interaction analysis indicated that the association between paid unemployment days and GD was significantly stronger among men compared to women.
Conclusions
The present study suggests that both paid and unpaid unemployment constitute risk factors for GD. Programs aiming at obtaining and sustaining work have been found to improve health and future studies should examine if the risk for GD can be similarly mitigated.
Abstract
Background and Aims
Many jurisdictions are experiencing opioid epidemics. Opioid use disorder (OUD) often co-occurs with other psychiatric disorders including behavioral addictions like gambling disorder. However, little is known regarding the frequency and correlates of problematic pornography use (PPU) among people seeking treatment for OUD. Here we aimed to investigate PPU and its correlates in people seeking OUD treatment.
Method
From October 2018 to March 2020, 1,272 individuals seeking OUD treatment were screened for PPU by completing the Brief Pornography Screen (BPS), a 5-item instrument validated for assessing PPU. Self-reported data were used.
Results
Among the sample there were 707 (60%) males and 565 (40%) females. The mean age of participants was 37.9 ± 10.5 years (range 18–73), there were 707 (60%) males and 565 (40%) females, 14.4% (n = 183) exhibited low positive BPS scores (1 ≤ score ≤4), and 4.5% of the sample (n = 57) screened positive for PPU (BPS score ≥4). Individuals screening positive for PPU versus negative were mostly male (77%), scored higher on measures of impulsivity in the domains of positive urgency, negative urgency, and sensation-seeking and demonstrated more psychopathology on measures of substance use, psychotic symptoms, emotional lability, depression/functioning and self-harm.
Discussion and Conclusion
A minority of individuals seeking treatment for OUD screened positive for PPU. Among individuals with OUD, those screening positive (versus negative) for PPU were more impulsive and experienced more psychiatric symptoms, suggesting the need for additional investigation and screening for and addressing PPU in people with OUD.
Abstract
Background and Aims
This study sought to identify patterns of psychedelic use among American psychiatrists, to compare the demographic variables across categories of social proximity and personal use, and to determine how these categories influenced psychiatrists' attitudes towards drugs and people who use drugs.
Methods
Respondents (N = 180; mean age = 48.4 [SD = 16.2]; male = 65.5%; trainees = 24.1%) were recruited via email lists/listservs and personal networks (snowball sampling).
Results
Approximately one-third (32.8%) of psychiatrists reported Personal Connection (i.e., history of personal use and social connection) to psychedelics. Psychiatrists with Personal Connection to psychedelics were more likely to be younger (p = 0.006, ηp 2 = 0.057) and have fewer years of practice (p = 0.008, ηp 2 = 0.058). Almost all (92%) of those with No Connection to psychedelics were out of training, compared with only 8% of those in training. Those with Personal and Social Connection to psychedelics were more likely to disagree: that using illegal drugs is morally wrong (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.28), that illegal drug users should go to prison (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.15), are weak minded (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.10), have no future (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.12), are not well educated (F(2.0, 170) = 7.38. p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.08), are dishonest (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.10), and that illegal drug users ‘make me angry’ (p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.10).
Conclusions
Personal and social connection to psychedelics is associated with decreased stigma towards drug use and people who use drugs. Future research should examine whether proximity to psychedelic use impacts other factors (e.g., empathy, therapeutic alliance) involved in psychiatry training and practice.
Abstract
Studies over the past three decades have shown the alignment between teachers' conceptions and approaches to teaching. However, little attention has been given to exploring skill-oriented teaching conceptions and approaches, such as problem-solving (PS). Although teachers' views, beliefs, and understanding of problem-solving have been studied to a certain extent, there has not been a common conceptual ground to study the conceptions of teaching problem-solving in a wider and multidisciplinary context. Therefore, this review article aims to assemble and provide conceptual clarity to the elements teaching problem-solving might constitute to create the foundation for future study. Positing that the way teachers conceive ‘problem’ in instruction, the process of problem-solving, and their role inform the approaches they take to teach PS, this paper provides conceptual grounding and reasoning of each element. To conclude, the paper might be a valuable resource for scholars starting to examine the same topic, as it provides overviews of seminal papers and essential insights into the topic, demonstrating the importance of studying conceptions of teaching problem-solving.
Abstract
Background and Aims
Problem gambling (PG) represents a significant public health concern with widespread effects in various cultures and regions globally, with younger individuals and males at a particularly higher risk. This disparity is attributed to a mix of cultural, developmental, and biological influences. To date, there has not been a comprehensive examination to determine whether this risk pattern holds consistently across different jurisdictions.
Methods
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using the PRISMA framework, identifying 21 eligible studies from 18 countries, encompassing 156,249 participants (47.6% male and 52.4% female).
Results
The studies varied considerably by region (Asia: 19%, Europe: 52%, Oceania: 19%, North America: 10%), the diagnostic criteria for PG, and participation rates in gambling (ranging from 12% to 92%). Data on PG prevalence was categorised by gender and three age groups (young: 18–35, middle: 30–55, and older: 45–65). Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we found a global PG prevalence of 1.9%. Europe reported a significantly lower prevalence (1.3%) compared to North America (5.3%). Men were found to be 3.4 times more likely than women to engage in problem gambling, although the gap narrows in North America. The young demographic showed a 1.51 times higher likelihood of reporting PG compared to the middle-aged group, whereas older adults were 0.80 times less likely to report PG. Notably, age-related effects varied significantly across regions.
Conclusions
Our findings confirm that age and gender significantly influence PG risk across cultures, with significant heterogeneity observed across jurisdictions.
Abstract
Background and aims
The aim of the present study was to estimate the complex association between Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), substance use, and other risky behaviours in Czech adolescents whilst providing prevalence estimates of IGD and psychometric information regarding the Czech Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF).
Methods
A representative sample of 3,950 Czech adolescents was recruited through stratified random sampling in the school setting.
Results
Disordered gamers showed frequent use of specific substances such as pharmaceuticals, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and lysergic acid diethylamide. In contrast, non-gamers had higher prevalence of alcohol, cigarettes, sedatives and tranquillisers, and marijuana use. A logistic regression, utilising IGDS9-SF raw scores and average daily gaming time, revealed a U-shaped relationship between gaming and both alcohol and cigarette use. Additionally, conduct problems such as bullying, and risky in-game behaviours were more prevalent among disordered gamers, with the exception of forging parents' signatures. The overall prevalence of IGD was 3.62% (95% CI = [3.1%, 4.3%]), with higher rates in males (5.89%; 95% CI = [4.9%, 7.0%]) than in females (1.45%; 95% CI = [1.0%, 2.1%]).
Discussion and conclusions
The Czech IGDS9-SF used in the present study showed adequate psychometric properties. The association between gaming and substance use behaviours may be specific and multifaceted depending on the severity of the gaming-related problems. Furthermore, disordered gamers may become more vulnerable due to a higher incidence of conduct problems, bullying (victimisation), and in-game risky behaviours such as engagement with microtransactions mechanics (e.g., loot box) within video games.
Abstract
Background
Research on individual differences in brain structural features of internet gaming disorder (IGD) and established addictions such as tobacco use disorder (TUD) is currently limited. This study utilized normative modeling to analyze the cortical thickness (CT) development patterns of male patients with IGD and TUD, aiming to provide further insights into whether IGD qualifies as an addiction.
Methods
Surface-based brain morphometry (SBM) was used to calculate CT from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data of 804 male participants (665 healthy individuals, 68 IGD and 71 TUD). Gaussian process regression was employed to generate normative models of CT development. Deviation maps were produced to depict deviations of IGD and TUD participants from the typical developmental patterns.
Results
Both addiction groups exhibited widespread cortical thinning, particularly in regions such as the bilateral temporal pole and medial orbitofrontal cortex. The TUD group demonstrated a higher degree of individualization and limited spatial overlap compared to the IGD group. Opposite trends in CT changes were observed between the two groups in the bilateral pericalcarine cortex and pars triangularis.
Conclusions
These findings regarding the similarities and differences between IGD and TUD provide support for the idea that IGD shares common features with substance-related addictions and contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying IGD.
