Lifetime depressive and current social anxiety are associated with problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD: a cross‐sectional study

Dec 5, 2020Child and adolescent mental health

Problematic internet use linked to past depression and current social anxiety in teenagers with ADHD

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Abstract

33.7% of adolescents with ADHD were identified as having problematic internet use (PIU).

No significant differences in gender or age were found between the PIU and normal internet use (NIU) groups.
Social phobia was more prevalent in the PIU group compared to the NIU group.
A history of major depressive disorder was also more common in the PIU group.
PIU is independently associated with online gaming, e-mail use, and social networking.
Higher scores on the Social Phobia Scale for Children and Adolescents are linked to an increased risk of PIU.

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AIM: To evaluate the relationships between problematic internet use (PIU) and psychiatric comorbid disorders and internet use habits in a clinical sample of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 95 adolescents with ADHD. Problematic behaviors and symptoms related to internet use were evaluated via Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS), and subjects with a YIAS score of ≥50 were categorized as PIU while those with a score of <50 were defined as normal internet use (NIU). The two groups were compared with respect to demographics and psychometric tests. While psychiatric disorders were examined by a semistructured instrument, self-report and parent-report scales were used to assess other individual and clinical characteristics of participants.

RESULTS: 33.7% (n = 32) of the participants were determined to have PIU. There was no gender (p = .058) or age (p = .426) difference between the PIU and NIU groups. Current presence of social phobia (p = .035) and history of major depressive disorder (p = .006) were more frequent in the PIU group than the NIU group. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that PIU was independently associated with online gaming (OR: 2.375, 95% CI: 1.532-3.681), e-mail use (OR: 1.864, 95% CI: 1.170-2.971), social networking (OR: 1.834, 95% CI: 1.156-2.910), and Social Phobia Scale for Children and Adolescents (SPSCA) score (OR: 1.058, 95% CI: 1.020-1.098).

CONCLUSION: PIU may be common among adolescents with ADHD. The severity of social phobia and particular online activities (playing online games, e-mailing, social networking) may be associated with a higher risk of PIU in adolescents with ADHD.

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Lifetime depressive and current social anxiety are associated with problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD: a cross‐sectional study

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