Addicted Subjects Research Articles

Effect of Risk Factors on Blood Pressure Using Multivariate Model amongst Adult Tribal Population in a District of India

Abstract Background: This research study uses multivariate model to analyse the effect of various risk factors on blood pressure (BP) levels amongst adults in the tribal communities. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional observational study with adult tribal population residing in Lohandiguda, Bastar district, Chhattisgarh, India. A multistage sampling was followed and the modified World Health Organization questionnaire for hypertensive patients was used. Results: Three hundred and thirty adults were included. Positive moderate-weak correlation in all three groups shown by body mass index (BMI) (0.208, 0.214 and 0.287) and waist–hip ratio (WHR) (0.223, 0.240 and 0.359) with systolic BP and (BMI = 0.223, 0.240 and 0.240; WHR = 0.166, 0.198 and 0.288) diastolic BP, respectively, was found. The Pearson correlation coefficient shows that the highest predictor of high BP was BMI (0.226) followed by WHR (0.198), age (0.182), number of bidi/cigarette use per day (0.131) and smokeless tobacco frequency per day (0.114). The multivariate general linear model is moderately distinguishable (0.529) amongst all study subjects and (0.543) amongst addicted study subjects with BP having strong significance (0.000) each for addicted and overall study subjects. Conclusion: These findings call for careful consideration in the development of dietary recommendations, quitting addictions, increased attention on physical activities and public health policies tailored to tribal communities.

The Technology Dilemma - Defining the Line Between Need and Addiction

It is possible that addiction is a subject that bears philosophical investigation due to the widespread nature of the problem and the degree to which it is intimately recognizable to us. The field of psychology, with its primary focus on clinical modes of discourse, has historically been the only one to undertake research in the area of addiction. Developing an effective treatment strategy for addiction is a very different challenge than merely comprehending the nature of addiction itself, especially if we add technology to the equation. However, if philosophy is able to contribute to such an understanding, then it may not be owing just to the insightful musings of philosophers, but rather to the increasingly provocative nature of the problem, issue, or even reality that is being investigated. It is possible that addiction is more of a forerunner of shifting cultural horizons and a symbol of an impending (human) crisis than it is merely a medical or clinical condition. If this is the case, then addiction is indicative of an impending crisis. By presenting a point of entrance to this historical fork in the road, it is possible that the subject of addiction can become debatable, or in other words, transform into a philosophical conundrum. This paper is trying to give in insight of the thin line between need and addiction in using technology.

Virtual Addiction to Video Games: Debut of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder- Case Report and Short Review of the Literature

Abstract Introduction: Addiction is a complex condition that can be caused by substance abuse or psychological disorders related to behaviors such as gambling, food, sex, or internet gaming. A person with addiction may experience problems in inhibiting impulsivity and delaying gratification.The term “internet addiction” was first used in 1995, and it can cause a loss of control, social isolation, problems in relationships and career. Internet Gaming Disorder is characterized by a repetitive and prolonged engagement in gaming that leads to a variety of cognitive and behavioral symptoms, including social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors. The physiological basis of addiction is related to the reward system in the brain, which releases dopamine in response to positive experiences. Individuals with addiction usually have problems with impulsivity and gratification, which are associated with changes in the frontal cortex. The epidemiology of internet addiction is still unclear, but it is associated with a range of personality traits. Materials and methods: we studied PubMed database to find articles related to the subject of video game addiction in relation to obsessive-compulsive disorder, for the period 2013 - 2023. We have found a number of 17 studies, the search key being “video-games addiction - obsessive - compulsive disorders”. Also, we chose to present a case of 23-year-old male presented with psychomotor agitation, anxiety, lack of sleep, and gaming addiction (17hours/ day) in the emergency psychiatric service. The patient had no psychiatric history or chronic illnesses. Results: The case highlights the impact of internet gaming addiction, particularly during the pandemic. The patient experienced symptoms of obsessive thoughts, social retraction, and psychotic symptoms, which are commonly associated with gaming addiction. Treatment with antipsychotic medication was effective in reducing symptoms. Further research is needed to understand the neurobiological mechanisms and risk factors associated with internet gaming addiction. Conclussion: Addiction can stem from both substance abuse and psychological disorders, making it a complex issue. Internet gaming disorder is a specific form of addiction that involves prolonged and excessive gaming behavior. Despite ongoing debates about diagnostic criteria and a lack of population-based studies, it is clear that internet usage has dramatically increased. The case report presented in this context demonstrates the connection between addiction and mental illness, underscoring the importance of a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment that includes addressing underlying mental health concerns.

Love it or hate it, but can you ignore social media? - A bibliometric analysis of social media addiction

The study does a thorough bibliometric analysis of the subject through time to analyze the research landscape of social media addiction (SMA). The study concentrated on the scientific publications' topic, research trends, and scholarly production in social media addiction. From the Scopus database, the authors retrieved 712 peer-reviewed papers. The bibliometric technique thoroughly analyzed the trend, thematic focus, and scientific output in social media addiction. The analysis propounds that significant work in the field of social media addiction kickstarted in 2010. The most pertinent publications for articles about social media addictions are “International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health,” “Journal of Behavioural Addiction” and “Computers and Human behavior.” Griffith et al. (2016) work is the most cited of the examined materials. And amongst the nations, the United States has contributed the most to social media addiction research and has the most extensive number of scientific papers. The results also listed the discipline's most influential academic institutions and well-known researchers. The popular accompanying fields of analysis as revealed by the word map of the keywords, include "internet addiction”, “behavioural addiction”, “Facebook addiction”, “anxiety, and “depression”. Thematic analysis suggests that researchers in this field may explore Narcissism, Psychopaths, and Machiavellianism, to provide a better perspective on social media addiction. Also, emerging themes like “Depressive symptoms, Emotional Regulation, and Social Networking Sites (SNS) Addiction” appear to be the new dimensions of social media addiction. The Bibliometric analysis helps the present study make a valuable contribution to the area by helping to provide the direction of the existing work and the future orientation required. These findings aim to aid researchers, particularly those who are just starting in the subject of social media addiction, in deciding what areas of the field to focus on for their research; what methodology has been used and most cited; where to get the work published; which dimensions to explore, and with whom to collaborate.

Void and narrative in the clinic of addictions: A theoretical proposal.

We propose a connection between the void and addiction via psychoanalysis and current developments in narration in the context of the psychoanalytic clinic. We maintain that the addicted subject is shaped in particular by a relationship to the void evolving from the disruptive effects of the narrative. Our modern era is marked by a parallel evolution towards an unbearable void, to be filled at all costs. The neo-liberal promise of 'filling' the void with consumer objects in turn feeds the illusion of a so-called freedom, based on alienation to the inseparable duos of growth/jouissance and productivism/consumerism. The void has a multidisciplinary heritage (philosophy, physics, art, psychology) underlining certain aspects of a dialectic of the void that fluctuates between nothing at all and everything as potential. Taking this dialectic into account allows us to construct a concept of the void centred around two types of void: a narrative void and an a-narrative void. We maintain that the toxic in addiction can be interpreted as a narco-narrative that is constructed upon an a-narrative void. The clinical implications and technical proposals are briefly explored as openings to a clinical consideration of the void in the field of addictology.

DNA Methylation of the Dopamine Transporter DAT1 Gene-Bliss Seekers in the Light of Epigenetics.

DNA methylation (leading to gene silencing) is one of the best-studied epigenetic mechanisms. It is also essential in regulating the dynamics of dopamine release in the synaptic cleft. This regulation relates to the expression of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1). We examined 137 people addicted to nicotine, 274 addicted subjects, 105 sports subjects and 290 people from the control group. After applying the Bonferroni correction, our results show that as many as 24 out of 33 examined CpG islands had statistically significantly higher methylation in the nicotine-dependent subjects and athletes groups compared to the control group. Analysis of total DAT1 methylation revealed a statistically significant increase in the number of total methylated CpG islands in addicted subjects (40.94%), nicotine-dependent subjects (62.84%) and sports subjects (65.71%) compared to controls (42.36%). The analysis of the methylation status of individual CpG sites revealed a new direction of research on the biological aspects of regulating dopamine release in people addicted to nicotine, people practicing sports and people addicted to psychoactive substances.

Can we Say that Love is Addictogene

Introduction: in recent years, scientists have looked into the subject of love addiction given the neurobiological, psychological and behavioral similarities of people who have experienced this feeling, which is described by some as a mystery and by others as a disease in its own right. What about the psychiatric and scientific point of view? Does an addiction to a person or an emotion exist? Is love addictogenic? Objectives: Evaluate the notion of love addiction and its prevalence, assess the severity of addiction and dependence on the “loved” person and finally determine if this entity really exists? Material and methods: descriptive study including 507 people who were able to answer our online survey (Google forms) and patients consulting or hospitalized in the addictology department at Arrazi Hospital in Salé Morroco, this survey was inspired by the diagnostic criteria of substance use disorders of the DSM 5, and the statistical analysis will be done through the same tool. Results: Female gender was the most to participate (79.9%) as well as young age between 21 and 40 years (80.5%), all with a university school level. 80.5% had no psychiatric history and 80.9% had no history of addictive behaviors. The questions that were asked to the participants correspond to the DSM 5 criteria of substance use disorders applied in the context of love addiction, and they were asked to answer each of them with yes or no: The 2 criteria out of 11 essential to make the diagnosis of an addictive behaviour were found in: 70% of the participants! Of which 44.4% had 6 or more criteria and therefore the intensity was severe. Conclusion: love addiction is a disorder that can cause suffering as intense as substance use, therefore, it needs to be treated with as much interest as drug use.

Employing a Carbon-Based Nanocomposite as a Diffusive Solid-Phase Extraction Adsorbent for Methamphetamine for Therapeutic Purposes

Due to the obvious minimal doses of drugs in biological matrices as well as the societal difficulties caused by methamphetamine usage, methamphetamine identification is critical in clinical and forensic laboratories. Because of their simple and inexpensive production procedure, as well as their excellent selectivity and sensitivity, polymeric carbon-based nanocomposites are strong contenders for the diffusive solid-phase extraction approach. The diffusive solid-phase extraction absorbent nanographene oxide polypyrrole composite was produced and used to recover methamphetamine from a complicated urine substrate. The generated NGPPC was fully characterized, and the significant extracting parameters have been explored using the one-parameter-at-a-time strategy. NGOPC is being used to extract methamphetamine using a urine medium with high efficiency. The NGPPC synthesizing procedure was easy, and the extraction method will demonstrate good repeatability. Moreover, the practical and efficient synthesis process stimulates the use of carbon-based compounds in various extraction procedures. As for detecting and quantifying equipment, HPLC monitors are being used. 300 mL methanol, 7 min extracting and desorption duration, 5000 mixing frequency, urinary pH value of 20, 40 mg adsorption, and 5 mL amount of urine were the optimal extraction variables. Following tracing the calibration graph, the method’s linear ranges were determined to be 40-600 ng/ml. The detection limits (LOD) and quantitation limits (LOQ), correspondingly, were 10 and 35.80 ng/mL. The proposed methodology seemed to have a detection range of 9 ng/mL. The suggested approach’s applicability in numerous characterization and medical facilities was proven by the examination of addicted subjects using the proposed technique. For successful extraction of methamphetamine using biological urine samples, the carbon-based adsorbent was being used as diffusive solid-phase extraction adsorption.

Concept of Affective Dependence and Validation of an Affective Dependence Scale.

There is a degree of affective interdependence that is considered normal and only becomes pathological if it causes excessive suffering, both for the subject and for those close to them. Our objective was to introduce and psychometrically validate a short and effective affective dependency scale, the Affective Dependence Scale (ADS-9). We used a sample of 762 participants (clinical: emotional dependent subjects n = 212, comparison: non-emotionally-dependent addicted subjects n = 272, and general population n = 278) to assess the factor structure, the psychological construct validity and the measurement invariance for the ADS-9 by means of independent exploratory factor analyses for each sample group and subsequent multigroup confirmatory factor analyses. Our results confirm that ADS-9 is a psychometrically consistent instrument, with construct and clinical validity, as well as configural, metric and scalar invariance across different sample groups (clinical, comparison and general population). A hypothesized two-dimensional structure was confirmed by means of factor analyses. Both sub-scales of this abbreviated form, Submission and Craving, showed a good agreement with the previously validated Relationships and Sentimental Dependencies Inventory (IRIDS-100). The ADS-9 is a brief instrument that appears to reliably detect the dependent and pathological components of affective dependence. It consists of two sub-scales, describing Submission (adaptation, accommodation, and subjugation) and Craving (imperative need for the other with the presence of disturbing states). We suggest that it is a versatile scale that may be useful for clinicians and researchers.

Evidence on the Heroin-Mediated Impairment of the Oxidative Status of Erythrocytes.

Away from hemorheological properties, the effect of heroin addiction on erythrocytes is poorly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the oxidative impacts of heroin administration on erythrocytes. Study subjects included chronic intravenous heroin addicts and control subjects. Hematological analysis and redox parameters were measured, including serum concentration of methemoglobin ([MethHb]), serum glutathione peroxidase-1 ([GPX-1]), serum glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, erythrocytic protein carbonyl content, and oxidized to reduced glutathione (GSSG/GSH) ratio. Hematological analysis revealed that addicts had a significantly higher red cell distribution width, consistent with the mild anisocytosis and poikilocytosis of erythrocytes. As compared to control subjects, significantly higher levels of serum [Met-Hb], [GPX-1], and GPX activity (p < 0.001) were reported among addicted subjects. A significant association between [MetHb] and GPX activity was observed with r = 0.764 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, significantly higher erythrocytic protein carbonyl contents and GSSG/GSH ratio were evident among heroin addicts (p < 0.005) that were significantly associated with r = 0.429 (p=0.01). Results demonstrate preliminary evidence that heroin addiction is implicated in impaired redox status of erythrocytes. Considering the pharmacokinetics of heroin, erythrocytic antioxidant mechanisms, and turnover rate, further investigation is required to evaluate the extent and clinical outcomes, especially upon over-dose administration.

Directing Technology Addiction Research in Information Systems

In this second part of a series of articles to direct technology addiction research in the information systems discipline, we discuss the history, conceptualization, and measurement of technology addiction. We admit that it is possible to label the phenomenon as overuse or excessive use as long as it is defined and measured by the presence and the magnitude of the six core symptoms of behavioral addictions: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. The advantage of this terminology is that it does not attribute one's problems to helplessness and does not pathologize the behavior, implying that it may possibly be corrected. Nevertheless, we posit that the term technology addiction is currently the most reasonable choice that may need to be adjusted as we learn more about this phenomenon and its potential similarities to and differences from established behavioral addictions. Dependence, obsessive/compulsive use, and pathological/problem use terms should not be used as synonyms for technology addiction as a form of mental disorder. Researchers should not include the name of the IT artifact as the subject of addiction (e.g., "Facebook addiction"). Instead, they should focus on the activity that is mediated through the IT artifact (e.g., "addiction to Facebook use").

Level of Social Media Addiction of Y and Z Generation in North Cyprus

As technology has advanced, daily interpersonal communication has also altered and shifted to a different level. With the widespread use of the internet and personal technological gadgets hitting the market, social web and social media settings became the essential field of communication for humankind. Now, mostly people use internet-based social communication webs to communicate instead of having face-to-face interaction. This study will focus on the subject of social media addiction in North Cyprus. Our main focal point is the purposes of social media usage, the habits of social media usage and addiction of social media, ranging from the vast majority of the current population, who have experienced technology from a young age, Y generation, and those born into technological innovations, Z generation. During the research it has been used Aylin Tutgun-Ünal’s “Social Media Addiction Scale” (SMAS) in order to analyze the social media addiction of Y and Z generations. SMAS consisted of 41 articles and was approved as constituting validity and authenticity in 2015. Besides Facebook, SMAS measured other addictive social media applications in use. It has attempted to find answers for our research questions by comparing and analyzing Y and G generations scores. By the end of this research, results enabled to determine that the Y and Z generations were on a low-scale addictiveness to social media. In any case, it has been noticed how the socially addictive scale was low with occupation, mood adjustment and differentiation on the levels of repetition and conflict. According to the research findings, participants' social media engagement was on a medium level of addictiveness; women spend more time on social media than men, receiving emotional support; social media is mostly used for interpersonal communication; and Y generation has passing more time on social media compared with the Z generation.

Proactive and reactive inhibitory control are differently affected by video game addiction: An event-related potential study.

IntroductionVideo game addiction (VGA) is associated with physical and mental disorders, one of which is problem in executive function, particularly inhibitory control. The present study aimed to investigate reactive and proactive inhibitory controls by event‐related potential (ERP).MethodsThirty video game (action video games)‐addicted subjects and 30 matched healthy controls participated in the study, who were tested by the selective stop‐signal task.ResultsThe main results revealed that the VGA group had significantly more problems in preparatory processes and proactive stop trials, showing that VGA has a negative effect on proactive inhibition.ConclusionFinding the problem in proactive inhibitory control might be helpful in developing new treatments and rehabilitation methods in these fields.

A Comparison Study of Impulsiveness, Cognitive Function, and P300 Components Between Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate and Heroin-Addicted Patients: Preliminary Findings

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate and compare impulsiveness, negative emotion, cognitive function, and P300 components among gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)-addicted patients, heroin-dependent patients, and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) subjects.MethodsA total of 48 men including 17 GHB addicts, 16 heroin addicts, 15 MMT subjects, and 15 male mentally healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All subjects were evaluated for symptoms of depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, and cognitive function through the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version II (BIS-II), the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (BJ-MoCA), the behavioral test (response time), and event-related potential P300 detection.Results(1) The mean scores of BIS-II in the GHB addiction group, heroin dependence group, and MMT group were significantly higher than those of the HC group (F = 30.339, P = 0.000). (2) The total scores of BJ-MOCA in GHB addiction group was the worst among the four groups, followed by heroin addiction, MMT group and HC group (F = 27.880, P = 0.000). (3) The response time in the GHB addiction group was the longest among the four groups, followed by the heroin addiction, MMT, and HC groups (F = 150.499, P = 0.000). (4) The amplitude and latency of P300 in GHB addiction subjects were significantly lower and longer than those of the MMT group and the HC group. (5) For the three types of addiction, the P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, Pz, T5, and T6 were negatively correlated with the scores of GAD-7, PHQ-9, and BIS-II; the P300 latencies were positively correlated with the response time and negatively correlated with the scores of the BJ-MoCA.ConclusionPeople with an addiction were likely to have increased impulsiveness. The cognitive function of the GHB and heroin-addicted subjects, including the heroin detoxification and the MMT groups, was severely impaired, especially for the GHB-addicted patients. The impairment manifested as abnormalities of BJ-MoCA, response time, and P300 components.

Preventive effects of fixed and progressive forced exercises on memory and brain electrical activity in morphine-addicted rats.

Exercise and addiction influence brain functions. The preventive effects of fixed and progressive forced exercises on both brain functions and body weight were investigated in morphine-addicted rats. Thirty-five rats were allocated to control, morphine, fixed exercise-morphine, and progressive exercise-morphine groups. Forced exercise was applied 1h/day for 21 days with morphine sulfate administered at doses of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days. The 50 mg/kg dose was repeated over the five subsequent days. Brain performance was evaluated using the passive avoidance test and EEG recordings. The passive avoidance test revealed no significant changes in brain functions (namely, latency, total dark stay time, and number of times entering the dark compartment). Compared to the control, the morphine group exhibited significantly lower alpha and beta waves but significantly higher delta and theta ones. Compared to the morphine group, the progressive and fixed exercise-morphine groups exhibited significant changes in their passive avoidance performance and only in the alpha wave of their EEG recordings. Progressive exercise improved learning, memory, and memory consolidation but reduced locomotor activity whereas fixed exercise affected EEG recordings in the addicted subjects. Clearly, different (fixed or progressive) exercise models produced different changes in brain functions.

Effect of Smart Phone Usage Time on Scapular Position and Respiratory Function: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: In recent times, the number of smartphone users has increased all over the world. The prolonged use of smartphone also shown increase in the musculoskeletal problems among the smartphone users. Smartphone usage become exceptionally desired by most of undergraduate students. Several studies are performed to asses the effect of smartphone usage among students. It has been suggested by many studies that the duration of smartphone usage is the better indicator of the addiction than the frequency of use. Aim: To study effect of smart phone addiction on respiratory function and position of scapula among undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at School of Physiotherapy, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Delhi, India, from February 2020 to July 2020 on 110 undergraduate students of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). Smart phone usage duration along with scapula position and respiratory function was studied. Respiratory function testing was done by using Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) Machine by RMS, Helios-401 Model. Scapula protraction was assessed by using keibers method of scapula assessment. Data was further analysed using t-test and analysis of variance to find out variation among study population. Results: The mean age of study population was 22±3.35 years and majority of study population fall under healthy group as per body mass index. There was no statistically significant change in the scapular position at rest (p-value= 0.334), at 45° abduction (p-value=0.840) and at 90° abduction (p-value=0.595) of addicted subjects. There was no significance (p-value=0.083) change in Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF) 25-75%, also other parameters p-value do not show any statistical significance difference between the smart phone users less than 4 years, 4-6 years, 6-8 years, more than 8 years. Conclusion: No significant changes observed in pulmonary function tests and altered scapula positioning among the smart phone addicted users.

On the subject of drug addiction. The use of profiling for the examination of drug abuser’s behaviour

By the use of profiling and the analysis of the deviant behavioural conduct in general terms, the figure and the behaviour of the drug abuser is examined in his peculiar features as well. In this way a behavioural model reference could rise in those cases in which there is an addicted person or a presumed one. In this paper are also introduced the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), new drugs that cause important psychological and psychical consequences on individuals who are used to consume them. Therefore, thanks to this focus on familiar, social, environmental and psychopathological causes of the drug abuser, we try to understand his possible relation with criminality and if some initial signals could be identified in order to allow us to recognize an addicted person, introducing in this regard another useful device, the psychographic examination. Finally, also new kind of addictions are here presented together with how they could widen this study, including the particular epidemic situation caused by Covid-19.

Identification of Video Game Addiction Using Heart-Rate Variability Parameters.

The purpose of this study is to determine heart rate variability (HRV) parameters that can quantitatively characterize game addiction by using electrocardiograms (ECGs). 23 subjects were classified into two groups prior to the experiment, 11 game-addicted subjects, and 12 non-addicted subjects, using questionnaires (CIUS and IAT). Various HRV parameters were tested to identify the addicted subject. The subjects played the League of Legends game for 30–40 min. The experimenter measured ECG during the game at various window sizes and specific events. Moreover, correlation and factor analyses were used to find the most effective parameters. A logistic regression equation was formed to calculate the accuracy in diagnosing addicted and non-addicted subjects. The most accurate set of parameters was found to be pNNI20, RMSSD, and LF in the 30 s after the “being killed” event. The logistic regression analysis provided an accuracy of 69.3% to 70.3%. AUC values in this study ranged from 0.654 to 0.677. This study can be noted as an exploratory step in the quantification of game addiction based on the stress response that could be used as an objective diagnostic method in the future.

Comparable level of aggression between patients with behavioural addiction and healthy subjects

Heightened aggression is identified in several psychiatric disorders, including addiction. In this preliminary study with a relatively small number of samples, aggression in subjects diagnosed with behavioural addiction (BA) was implicitly assessed using the point subtraction aggression paradigm (PSAP) test along with measurements of oxy- and deoxyhaemoglobin dynamics in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the test using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Aggression in BA patients was no higher than that of healthy control (CT) subjects in the PSAP test. Although no apparent increase or decrease in haemoglobin concentrations was observed in the PFC of either BA patients or CT subjects, abnormal correlations within the PFC network were present in BA patients. Consistent with comparable aggression between the groups, blood concentrations of the sex hormone testosterone, which has been shown to be associated with aggressiveness, was even lower in BA patients than in CT subjects. In contrast, when a set of questionnaire surveys for the assessment of aggression were administered, BA patients rated themselves as more aggressive than non-BA subjects. Collectively, these results suggest that aggression may not be heightened in BA, but BA patients may overestimate their aggressiveness, raising concerns about the use of questionnaire surveys for assessments of affective traits such as aggression in behavioural addiction.

Does social media addiction exist?

In science, medicine and technology, our discoveries and theories are constantly under scrutiny. Changes in society can create a need for new research and the questioning of topics previously thought to be understood. There are many examples that illustrate this, none more contentious than the subject of addiction. This article aims to explore our developing knowledge of behavioural addiction and examines social media in particular. Furthermore, the article considers the associated symptoms and the importance of their recognition to facilitate early identification of mental health disorders in primary care.