Exploring decision-making strategies in the Iowa gambling task and rat gambling task

Decision-making requires that individuals perceive the probabilities and risks associated with different options. Experimental human and animal laboratory testing provide complimentary insights on the psychobiological underpinnings of decision-making. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk. In the task participants are faced with a choice conflict between cards with varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gambling task (rGT) is a pre-clinical version using palatable reinforcers as wins and timeouts mimicking losses. However, interspecies studies elaborating on human and rat behavior in these tasks are lacking. This study explores decision-making strategies among young adults (N = 270) performing a computerized version of the IGT, and adult outbred male Lister Hooded rats (N = 72) performing the rGT. Both group and individual data were explored by normative scoring approaches and subgroup formations based on individual choices were investigated. Overall results showed that most humans and rats learned to favor the advantageous choices, but to a widely different extent. Human performance was characterized by both exploration and learning as the task progressed, while rats showed relatively consistent pronounced preferences for the advantageous choices throughout the task. Nevertheless, humans and rats showed similar variability in individual choice preferences during end performance. Procedural differences impacting on the performance in both tasks and their potential to study different aspects of decision-making are discussed. This is a first attempt to increase the understanding of similarities and differences regarding decision-making processes in the IGT and rGT from an explorative perspective

Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish Child Sheehan Disability Scale in adolescent psychiatric patients

Background: Assessment of disability is part of the psychiatric diagnostic process, and validated scales are needed for the assessment of functioning. The Swedish translations of the Child Sheehan Disability Scale (CSDS) for adolescents and parents (CSDS-P) have been adapted for use in psychiatric settings. Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Swedish CSDS and the CSDS-P among adolescent psychiatric patients. Method: Patients (n = 107) were assessed with the CSDS, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ adolescent), and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) diagnostic interview. Their parents participated in the interview and completed the CSDS-P and SDQ parent. Results: Internal consistency was alpha =.813 for the CSDS (three items) and alpha =.842 for the CSDS-P (five items). For both scales, principal component analyses showed one component. The correlations between the total scores of the CSDS and CSDS-P in relation to a general K-SADS-PL symptom summation index were r(s) = .332, p < .001 and r(s) = .237, p = .014, respectively. Correlations with the total K-SADS function summation index were r(s) < .300 for both. The correlation between the CSDS and the total difficulties score on the SDQ was r(s) = .433,p < .001. Conclusions: The Swedish translations of the CSDS and CSDS-P had similar psychometric properties to Whiteside's CSDS and the Adult Sheehan Disability Scale. Concurrent validity and correlation between the CSDS and CSDS-P were weak

Associations between attention deficit hyperactivity and internet gaming disorder symptoms: is there consistency across types of symptoms, gender and countries?

Background: Videogame addiction has been suggested as a tentative disorder in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and was recently officially recognized as a mental health disorder by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although a few studies have identified attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a key risk factor for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), the interplay between ADHD and IGD symptoms with gender differences across cultures remains to be further examined. Objective: This study examined the moderating effects of gender in the association between ADHD and IGD across two nations. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was developed to recruit 164 Australian (Mage = 23.01, SD = 3.35, Minage = 18, Maxage = 31, Males n = 121, 73.80%) and 457 U.S.-North American (Mage = 25.25 years, SD = 2.76, Minage = 18 years, Maxage = 29 years, Males = 265, 57.98%) Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) players aged between 18 and 29 years. Results: The hierarchical linear regression, moderation and moderated moderation analyses revealed that participants presenting greater inattention and hyperactivity symptoms exhibited higher levels of IGD-related behaviors in the two samples. Moreover, these associations differed across genders between the two countries. Specifically, more hyperactive-impulsive, as well as inattentive males in the USA presented higher levels of disordered gaming. Conclusion: The results highlight the need for more cross-cultural and symptom-focused research in the broader IGD field

The role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in problem gaming among adolescents: a nationally representative survey study

Explanatory theoretical models have proposed an association between problematic online gaming and abilities or strategies in alleviating distress or negative emotions in times of stress as proximal non-gaming-related personality factors. However, there is little research that has targeted how emotion regulation relates to problematic online gaming—especially during adolescence when gaming behavior is most prevalent. In emotion regulation research, there has been a particular emphasis on rumination because it is strongly associated with overall psychopathology. However, it is unknown whether this putatively maladaptive strategy relates to problematic online gaming and whether it is a gender-dependent association. Consequently, the present study examined how emotion regulation strategies, and particularly rumination, related to problem gaming and tested whether gender moderated this relationship in adolescents. In a national representative adolescent sample, 46.9% of the participants (N = 1,646) reported online gaming in the past 12 months and provided information on problematic gaming, and it was these data that were used for further analysis. Their data concerning problematic online gaming and emotion regulation strategies were analyzed, including rumination along with other putatively maladaptive (e.g., catastrophizing) and adaptive (e.g., positive reappraisal) strategies, while controlling for age, gender, and game genre preference. Results of linear regression analyses showed that all the putatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (including self-blame, other blame, catastrophizing, and rumination) were positively related to problematic online gaming. Positive reappraisal proved to be a protective factor; it was inversely related to problematic online gaming. In addition, the relationship between rumination and online gaming was moderated by gender (i.e., the relationship was stronger among boys). Based on the results, it is argued that emotion regulation is a useful framework to study problematic online gaming. The present study highlighted that the relative predictive value of rumination for problematic online gaming varied for boys and girls, suggesting that trait rumination might be a gender-specific vulnerability factor for problematic online gaming, but this requires further investigation and replication

Children's reading habits : A study on reading and attitudes to reading with a focus on gender

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vad för inställning till läsning och vilka läsvanor på fritiden som ett antal elever i årskurs 4 och 5 har samt om och på vilket sätt de skiljer sig åt mellan könen. Studien baseras på 116 stycken enkäter som delats ut i årskurs 4 och 5. I studien framkommer det att tidigare forskning visar att pojkar har en mer negativ inställning till läsning än flickor samt att pojkarna är mer välrepresenterade än flickorna i gruppen som läser lite. Författaren av denna studie har även kommit fram till ett sådant resultat. Den här undersökningen visade också att eleverna får ta del av väldigt lite högläsning på sin fritid. Det var vanligare att flickorna fick höra någon vuxen läsa för dem än det var för pojkarna. Enkätundersökningen visade även att mysterieböcker var den populäraste genren hos de tillfrågade eleverna och även det populäraste valet hos pojkarna som enskild grupp. Den populäraste genren hos flickorna visade sig vara kärleksböcker. Studien visade även att det populäraste sättet för eleverna totalt sett att få tag i de böcker de läser på sin fritid är att låna i skolans bibliotek, detta var även det vanligaste sättet för flickorna. Pojkarna däremot fördrog att läsa böcker som på ett eller annat sätt redan finns i hemmet

Problematic Gaming and Gambling among Adolescents

The overall aims of this thesis were to develop and evaluate a screening instrument designed to detect gaming addiction symptoms in adolescents, to study associations between problematic gaming and psychiatric symptoms, to investigate the stability of problematic gaming, and to examine possible associations between gaming at baseline (W1) with problem gambling three years later (W2). The study population consisted of adolescents from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland SALVe Cohort (adolescents in Västmanland born in 1997 and 1999, and their parents), in two waves (2012, n = 1887; 2015, n = 1576), and adolescents from child and adolescent psychiatric clinics in Västmanland (2014, n = 242). The development of the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT) was based upon the research literature on gaming, gambling, and addiction. An expert panel estimated the content validity of the GAIT and found it to be excellent. Additional psychometric evaluations of the GAIT and the parent version, GAIT-P, were conducted and it was found that both versions showed promising psychometric results, with high internal consistency, high concurrent validity, high concordance, unidimensionality, and high factor loadings, although poor model fit in exploratory factor analysis. Self- and parent-rated prevalence of gaming addiction symptoms were estimated at 1.3% with the GAIT and 2.4% with the GAIT-P in 13- and 15-year-olds. Self-rated problematic gaming above the cutoff had a boy to girl ratio of approximately 5:1 in both the SALVe Cohort and the clinical sample, whereas more girls than boys reported symptoms above the cutoff for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like-experiences. ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms were associated with odds ratios of 2.43, 2.47, and 2.06, respectively, in relation to coexisting problematic gaming. Furthermore, problematic gaming was stable over time, and problematic gaming at the first wave was associated with problem gambling three years later. It is important to screen for possible co-occurring symptoms among those who seek treatment and among those who appear to have symptoms of gaming, gambling, or psychiatric symptoms. Ongoing evaluation of adequate screening and diagnostic measurements, and the development and evaluation of treatments for problematic gaming, gaming addiction, and comorbid conditions are needed

Problematic Gaming and Gambling among Adolescents

The overall aims of this thesis were to develop and evaluate a screening instrument designed to detect gaming addiction symptoms in adolescents, to study associations between problematic gaming and psychiatric symptoms, to investigate the stability of problematic gaming, and to examine possible associations between gaming at baseline (W1) with problem gambling three years later (W2). The study population consisted of adolescents from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland SALVe Cohort (adolescents in Västmanland born in 1997 and 1999, and their parents), in two waves (2012, n = 1887; 2015, n = 1576), and adolescents from child and adolescent psychiatric clinics in Västmanland (2014, n = 242). The development of the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT) was based upon the research literature on gaming, gambling, and addiction. An expert panel estimated the content validity of the GAIT and found it to be excellent. Additional psychometric evaluations of the GAIT and the parent version, GAIT-P, were conducted and it was found that both versions showed promising psychometric results, with high internal consistency, high concurrent validity, high concordance, unidimensionality, and high factor loadings, although poor model fit in exploratory factor analysis. Self- and parent-rated prevalence of gaming addiction symptoms were estimated at 1.3% with the GAIT and 2.4% with the GAIT-P in 13- and 15-year-olds. Self-rated problematic gaming above the cutoff had a boy to girl ratio of approximately 5:1 in both the SALVe Cohort and the clinical sample, whereas more girls than boys reported symptoms above the cutoff for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like-experiences. ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms were associated with odds ratios of 2.43, 2.47, and 2.06, respectively, in relation to coexisting problematic gaming. Furthermore, problematic gaming was stable over time, and problematic gaming at the first wave was associated with problem gambling three years later. It is important to screen for possible co-occurring symptoms among those who seek treatment and among those who appear to have symptoms of gaming, gambling, or psychiatric symptoms. Ongoing evaluation of adequate screening and diagnostic measurements, and the development and evaluation of treatments for problematic gaming, gaming addiction, and comorbid conditions are needed

Palliativ vård : Ur sjuksköterskornas perspektiv

Background: Palliative care involves maintaining patients’ quality of life during their last period of life. The last phase of palliative care is called at the end of life and is mostly aimedat alleviating symptoms and providing non-life-sustaining treatment for patients. Previous research has shown that patients experience different emotions at the end of life and nurses can help patients accept these emotions by communication with them. Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of caring for patients in the end of life. Method: A systematic literature study based on ten qualitative study’s with a descriptive synthesis. Results: Two themes emerged in the analysis: Challenges for caring and The importance to be committed. The results showed that the nurses experienced various challenges in being able to perform good care. The nurses also felt that it was important to be involved in the caring. Conclusion: Nurses felt that lack of time and high workload prevented them from performing good care. A variety of communication styles are central to the nurse's meeting with patients in the end- of-life and their relatives

Palliativ vård : Ur sjuksköterskornas perspektiv

Background: Palliative care involves maintaining patients’ quality of life during their last period of life. The last phase of palliative care is called at the end of life and is mostly aimedat alleviating symptoms and providing non-life-sustaining treatment for patients. Previous research has shown that patients experience different emotions at the end of life and nurses can help patients accept these emotions by communication with them. Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of caring for patients in the end of life. Method: A systematic literature study based on ten qualitative study’s with a descriptive synthesis. Results: Two themes emerged in the analysis: Challenges for caring and The importance to be committed. The results showed that the nurses experienced various challenges in being able to perform good care. The nurses also felt that it was important to be involved in the caring. Conclusion: Nurses felt that lack of time and high workload prevented them from performing good care. A variety of communication styles are central to the nurse's meeting with patients in the end- of-life and their relatives

Clinical utility of new cut-off scores for the world health organization ADHD self-report scale among adolescents in psychiatric outpatient care

Previous analyses of the proposed cut-off score for the 18-item World Health Organization ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-18) among psychiatrically referred adolescents have shown limited clinical utility. This prospective study examined the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of new cut-off scores of the ASRS-18 in a consecutive sample of 111 Swedish adolescent psychiatric outpatients. Using the Kiddie Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) as the reference standard and based on predefined sensitivity and specificity criteria, multiple new general and sex-specific cut-off scores were evaluated. Results showed that clinical utility was greater for sex-specific cut-off scores than for general cut-off scores. The greatest change in pre-test to post-test probability of ADHD diagnosis was observed with a balanced, high-specificity diagnostic cut-off score for girls, where the probability of ADHD increased from 40% pre-test to 82% post-test. The proposed new cut-off levels for the ASRS-18 are useful for the detection and identification of ADHD among adolescents in general psychiatric out-patient settings