Adolescence and behavioural addictions: Results from an Italian sample

Abstract

Introduction:Adolescence seems to be a critical period of addiction vulnerability, based on both neurobiological, social, and familiar factors. The earlier onset of behavioural/substance dependence seems to predict greater addiction severity, morbidity, and multiple addictive disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of multiple addictions in an Italian adolescent high-school population.Methods:Data were collected from a sample of 2907 high school students recruited in the area of Barletta (Puglia) and Latina (Lazio). The sample had an average age of 16.69+/-1.89 years. Through different multi-item scales we evaluated different behavioural addictions: Pathological Gambling, Internet Addiction, Compulsive Buying, Sexual Addiction, Relationship Addiction, Mobile Phone Addiction, Exercise Addiction, Work Addiction.Results:the presence of pathological gambling was found in 4.4%, compulsive buying in 8.3%, internet addiction in 1.1%, work addiction in 7.2%, exercise addiction in 6.7% of the subjects. Males showed higher scores (p<.001) for pathological gambling, internet and exercise addiction, whereas females showed an higher score (p<.001) for mobile phone addiction. A positive correlation (p<.001) was found between all the scale employed, apart from the Compulsive Buying Scale, which was negatively correlated (p<.001) with the other scales.Discussion:The high number of subjects reporting a behavioural dependence is an unexpected data, which creates concern, and need an adequate analysis. It should be valued if these typologies of “addiction without the substance” are a temporary phenomenon occurring in adolescents or if they are a stable trait, and a consequent risk factor for a substance misuse.