Problematic Internet Use and Problematic Online Gaming Are Not the Same: Findings from a Large Nationally Representative Adolescent Sample

There is an ongoing debate in the literature whether problematic internet use (PIU) and problematic online gaming (POG) are two distinct conceptual and nosological entities or whether they are the same. The present study contributes to this question by examining the interrelationship and the overlap between PIU and POG in terms of gender, school achievement, time spent using the internet and/or online gaming, psychological wellbeing, and preferred online activities. Questionnaires assessing these variables were administered to a nationally representative sample of adolescent gamers (N=2,073; mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.87, 68.4% male). Data showed that internet use was a common activity among adolescents while online gaming was engaged in by a considerably smaller group. Similarly, more adolescents met the criteria for PIU than for POG and a small group of adolescents showed symptoms of both problem behaviors. The most notable difference between the two problem behaviors was in terms of gender. POG was much more strongly associated with being male. Self-esteem had low effect sizes on both behaviors, while depressive symptoms were associated with both PIU and POG, affecting PIU slightly more. In terms of preferred online activities, PIU was positively associated with online gaming, online chatting, and social networking while POG was only associated with online gaming. Based on our findings POG appears to be a conceptually different behavior than PIU and therefore data support the notion that Internet Addiction Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder are separate nosological entities

Core self-evaluation and loneliness as predictors of internet addictions among undergraduate students

The study investigated core self-evaluation and loneliness as predictors of internet addiction among undergraduate students, two hundred and forty-seven (247) undergraduate students which comprised 139 females and 108 males with a mean age of 21.76 and SD of 5.07 were selected using multi-stage (cluster, simple random: by balloting and purposive) sampling techniques as participants from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. Young (1998a) internet addiction test (IAT), Judge et al., (2003) Core Self Evaluation Scale (CSES) and Russell, Peplau, and Ferguson, (1978) UCLA Loneliness Scale were used for the gathering of data, correlational design was adopted, while hierarchical multiple regression using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 was used for data analysis. Finding revealed that core self-evaluation did not predict internet addict at sig.= .836 which is higher than the threshold of at p< .05, loneliness also failed to predict internet addiction at sig. 556 which is higher than the value of at p< .05. The two independent variable shows no relationship with the dependent variable at r= .1(r= .079), both core self-evaluation and loneliness contributed 0% to the variation of internet addiction at r2= .006, both independent did not jointly predict internet addiction at sig. .752, which is higher than the threshold of at p< .05. Therefore, it is important to encourage students to develop a strong sense of core self-evaluation, as it can help them regulate their internet use and prevent addiction

Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade

In the last decade, Internet usage has grown tremendously on a global scale. The increasing popularity and frequency of Internet use has led to an increasing number of reports highlighting the potential negative consequences of overuse. Over the last decade, research into Internet addiction has proliferated. This paper reviews the existing 68 epidemiological studies of Internet addiction that (i) contain quantitative empirical data, (ii) have been published after 2000, (iii) include an analysis relating to Internet addiction, (iv) include a minimum of 1000 participants, and (v) provide a full-text article published in English using the database Web of Science. Assessment tools and conceptualisations, prevalence, and associated factors in adolescents and adults are scrutinised. The results reveal the following. First, no gold standard of Internet addiction classification exists as 21 different assessment instruments have been identified. They adopt official criteria for substance use disorders or pathological gambling, no or few criteria relevant for an addiction diagnosis, time spent online, or resulting problems. Second, reported prevalence rates differ as a consequence of different assessment tools and cut-offs, ranging from 0.8% in Italy to 26.7% in Hong Kong. Third, Internet addiction is associated with a number of sociodemographic, Internet use, and psychosocial factors, as well as comorbid symptoms and disorder in adolescents and adults. The results indicate that a number of core symptoms (i.e., compulsive use, negative outcomes and salience) appear relevant for diagnosis, which assimilates Internet addiction and other addictive disorders and also differentiates them, implying a conceptualisation as syndrome with similar etiology and components, but different expressions of addictions. Limitations include the exclusion of studies with smaller sample sizes and studies focusing on specific online behaviours. Conclusively, there is a need for nosological precision so that ultimately those in need can be helped by translating the scientific evidence established in the context of Internet addiction into actual clinical practice

Health impacts of parental migration on left-behind children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, a growing number of children and adolescents are left behind when parents migrate. We investigated the effect of parental migration on the health of left behind-children and adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis we searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsychINFO, Global Index Medicus, Scopus, and Popline from inception to April 27, 2017, without language restrictions, for observational studies investigating the effects of parental migration on nutrition, mental health, unintentional injuries, infectious disease, substance use, unprotected sex, early pregnancy, and abuse in left-behind children (aged 0-19 years) in LMICs. We excluded studies in which less than 50% of participants were aged 0-19 years, the mean or median age of participants was more than 19 years, fewer than 50% of parents had migrated for more than 6 months, or the mean or median duration of migration was less than 6 months. We screened studies using systematic review software and extracted summary estimates from published reports independently. The main outcomes were risk and prevalence of health outcomes, including nutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight and obesity, low birthweight, and anaemia), mental health (depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, conduct disorders, self-harm, and suicide), unintentional injuries, substance use, abuse, and infectious disease. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RRs) and standardised mean differences (SMDs) using random-effects models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42017064871. FINDINGS: Our search identified 10 284 records, of which 111 studies were included for analysis, including a total of 264 967 children (n=106 167 left-behind children and adolescents; n=158 800 children and adolescents of non-migrant parents). 91 studies were done in China and focused on effects of internal labour migration. Compared with children of non-migrants, left-behind children had increased risk of depression and higher depression scores (RR 1·52 [95% CI 1·27-1·82]; SMD 0·16 [0·10-0·21]), anxiety (RR 1·85 [1·36-2·53]; SMD 0·18 [0·11-0·26]), suicidal ideation (RR 1·70 [1·28-2·26]), conduct disorder (SMD 0·16 [0·04-0·28]), substance use (RR 1·24 [1·00-1·52]), wasting (RR 1·13 [1·02-1·24]) and stunting (RR 1·12 [1·00-1·26]). No differences were identified between left-behind children and children of non-migrants for other nutrition outcomes, unintentional injury, abuse, or diarrhoea. No studies reported outcomes for other infectious diseases, self-harm, unprotected sex, or early pregnancy. Study quality varied across the included studies, with 43% of studies at high or unclear risk of bias across five or more domains. INTERPRETATION: Parental migration is detrimental to the health of left-behind children and adolescents, with no evidence of any benefit. Policy makers and health-care professionals need to take action to improve the health of these young people. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust

Internet addiction and problematic Internet use: A systematic review of clinical research

AIM: To provide a comprehensive overview of clinical studies on the clinical picture of Internet-use related addictions from a holistic perspective. A literature search was conducted using the database Web of Science. METHODS: Over the last 15 years, the number of Internet users has increased by 1000%, and at the same time, research on addictive Internet use has proliferated. Internet addiction has not yet been understood very well, and research on its etiology and natural history is still in its infancy. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association included Internet Gaming Disorder in the appendix of the updated version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as condition that requires further research prior to official inclusion in the main manual, with important repercussions for research and treatment. To date, reviews have focused on clinical and treatment studies of Internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder. This arguably limits the analysis to a specific diagnosis of a potential disorder that has not yet been officially recognised in the Western world, rather than a comprehensive and inclusive investigation of Internet-use related addictions (including problematic Internet use) more generally. RESULTS: The systematic literature review identified a total of 46 relevant studies. The included studies used clinical samples, and focused on characteristics of treatment seekers and online addiction treatment. Four main types of clinical research studies were identified, namely research involving (1) treatment seeker characteristics; (2) psychopharmacotherapy; (3) psychological therapy; and (4) combined treatment. CONCLUSION: A consensus regarding diagnostic criteria and measures is needed to improve reliability across studies and to develop effective and efficient treatment approaches for treatment seekers

The relationship between Internet addiction and depression among migrant children and left-behind children in China

With greater Internet availability, the pathological use of the Internet has become an emerging mental health issue among adolescents in China. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between Internet addiction and depression in migrant children (MC) and left-behind children (LBC). The present study was conducted using a cross-sectional design with 3,254 participants (8-17-years old), which included 1143 LBC, 574 MC, and 1287 nonleft-behind rural children (RC) from 12 schools. Young's 8-item Internet Addiction Scale was used to assess Internet dependency. The Children's Depression Inventory-Short Form was used to measure child depression. The results showed that the prevalence of depression was 10.9 percent among RC, 19.7 percent among MC, and 14.3 percent among LBC. The prevalence of Internet addiction was 3.7 percent among RC, and was 6.4 percent among MC and 3.2 percent among LBC. Depression was effected by the interaction between types of children and Internet addiction. LBC with Internet addiction (odds ratio [OR], 2.780; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.237-6.248), MC with Internet addiction (OR, 2.922; 95 percent CI, 1.116-7.652), and MC with no Internet addiction (OR, 2.735; 95 percent CI, 1.974-3.789) had higher risks of depression than that for RC with no-Internet addiction. The results indicated that Internet addiction might be associated with an increased risk of depression in LBC, and migration was an important risk factor for child depression

The Relationship Between Adult Attachment, Perceived Social Support, and Depression in Chinese College Students With Different Life Experiences

Guo, Yuge. The Relationship between Adult Attachment, Perceived Social Support and Depression in Chinese College Students with Different Life Experiences. Published Dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, August 2020. The population of left-behind children in China face great challenges in daily life and serious concern has been raised over their physical and psychological health. The current study examines whether childhood left-behind experiences have a long-term impact on the mental health of college students in comparison to their peers without such experiences. The current study explored if there were difference in the level of insecure attachment to a parent figure, perceived social support, and depression, between students with and without left behind experiences, as well as the impact of specific demographic variables (age at separation, duration of separation, type of parent migration, and type of left-behind caregivers). In addition the indirect effect that of perceived social support has on the relationship between insecure attachment and depression for students with and without left behind experiences. Three hundred and ninety-nine Chinese college students including 145 students with left-behind experiences were recruited to completed self-report questionnaires on left-behind experiences, attachment to parent or parent-like caregiver, perceived social support, and depression. Significant differences were found in attachment avoidance to mother or mother-like figure between college students with left-behind experience and those without such experience, however, no significant differences were detected in terms of all the other insecure attachment dimensions, levels of perceived social support and depression in these two groups For college students with left-behind experience, ANOVA showed no significant differences regarding age at separation, duration of separation, and interaction effect of these two factors on the level of depression. Similarly, the types of parent migration, left-behind caregivers, and their interaction effect were also not significant on the level of depression. Multiple regression analyses indicated perceived social support significantly mediated the relationship between adult attachment and depression while the left-behind status did not moderate this mediating model. These findings suggest evaluating Chinese college students’ attachment styles may be more important than knowing their left behind status. Results also revealed a gap in research of left-behind experience particularly missing the important variable of parenting and the need to further understand the mechanism of left-behind status on attachment avoidance to mother or mother-like figures

Development and preliminary validation of multidimensional life satisfaction of internal migrant workers' children in China

Background Internal labor exporting in China has been a common phenomenon, more and more people from rural area of China migrant to cities for jobs, which leads to the unavoidable social situation of left-behind and migrant children. Research has been focusing on the negative influences on these groups of children, while my research attempted to develop a scale to measure their satisfaction of life. I estimate life satisfaction of my target group from 6 domains: friend, school, living environment, self, material, and family. The items in family domain are different for children who live with both of parents and children who don't live with both of parents. Method I collected data for two rounds. In the first round, only my proposed life satisfaction scale for migrant workers' children was used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used to detect underlaying factors, model fitting criterions such as root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and item loading values' criterions are used to eliminate items. In the second round, the adjusted scale was applied, as well as Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS), Self- Description Questionnaire-II (SDQ-II), and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) for validity estimating. McDonald's Omega was used for reliability estimation. Measurement Invariance between groups was also tested. Latent means of different groups were compared. Result The adjusted life satisfaction of internal migrant workers' children scale contains 31 items for each group. McDonald's Omega showed acceptable values for every domain in two groups. Validity evidence can be seen from: my scale can be distinguished from SLSS and PANAS. Domains in my scale and the overall score also can predict global life satisfaction. The correlations between overall score of my scale positively correlated with scores of different domains of SDQ-II. Measurement invariance testing shows measurement invariance between children live with or without both of parents/males and females/being only child or not on configural, scalar and metric levels. Latent mean comparison shows that children who live with both parents have higher life satisfactions in the domains of friends, living environment, and self. In the sample of children who live with both of their parents, boys have less life satisfaction of family, while children who are only child(ren) have a higher life satisfaction of friends. Conclusion A six-domain specific scale of internal migrant workers' children in China was developed and preliminarily validated in this study.Includes bibliographical references