Internet Addiction (IA), Gaming Disorder (GD) and ADHD

00:00 Introduction
00:20 Discussion of meta-analysis of research on ADHD and gaming disorder
03:28 Study of adults with ADHD and internet addiction
03:45 Study showing that depression and social anxiety may also be related to internet addiction in ADHD
04:27 Study of cognitive disengagement syndrome predicting IA and GD risk beyond just their association with ADHD

Here I discuss the abundant research on the risk for Internet Addition (IA) and Gaming Disorder (GD) in children, teens and adults with ADHD. That risk seems to be seen in about 17-49% of cases of people with ADHD average to about a 35% rate of comorbididity. The risk for IA and GD is largely driven by degree of inattention symptoms in ADHD followed to a lesser extent by symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity. Some research suggests that degree of depressive symptoms and social anxiety may also be related to these addiction risks after controlling for degree of ADHD. Most recently, symptoms of the other attention disorder, Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome, are also independently predictive of risk for IA and GD. Treating the ADHD symptoms, particularly with medication, may reduce these internet problematic behaviors according to some clinicians working in this field.

References

Koncz, P. et al. (2023). The emerging evidence on the association between symptoms of ADHD and gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. Volume 106, December 2023, 102343. [ Ссылка ]

Wei, Z. et al. (2022). Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Internet Addiction in College Students: Prevalence and Differential Associations. European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, v5 n1 p33-43 2022. [ Ссылка ]

Demirtas, O. O. et al. (2020). Lifetime depressive and current social anxiety are associated with problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD: a cross-sectional study. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26 (3), pp. 220-227.
[ Ссылка ]

Gul, A. and Gul, H. (2023). Sluggish cognitive tempo (Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome) symptoms are more associated with a higher risk of internet addiction and internet gaming disorder than ADHD symptoms: A study with medical students and resident doctors. Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 139, August 2023, [ Ссылка ]

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