Addictive Behaviors Research Articles

Examining problem gambling, substance use disorders and cluster B personality traits among incarcerated individuals

Prison populations face heightened rates of addictive behaviors and significant stressors, including health challenges and social disparities. Although problem gambling is prevalent in criminal justice settings, its distinctiveness compared to other addictions among incarcerated individuals remains uncertain. This study examines risk factors associated with problem gambling in Finnish prisoners and explores differences compared to other forms of addiction.Covariates from a questionnaire (N = 527) included gender, age, education, offender status, involvement in theft or property crime, Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ), Depression Scale (DEPS), and lifetime abuse experiences. Of the 527 participants, 330 were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-II) to assess personality disorders. Multiple logistic regression models were utilized, with separate models for problem gambling (PG), lifetime substance use disorder, and lifetime alcohol disorder.Crime type was not significantly associated with alcohol or substance use problems, but PG was associated with property crime or theft convictions. Borderline personality traits were linked to probable PG, while antisocial traits were linked to drug use, and both traits predicted alcohol misuse. Age and gender were significant only in relation to alcohol use problems, with older age and male gender indicating higher risk.The association between problem gambling and criminal behavior underscores the vulnerability of incarcerated individuals across various domains. Detailed assessments, considering the nature of criminal activity and personality disorders, especially borderline traits and comorbid conditions, are crucial for tailoring rehabilitation and treatment strategies to prevent recidivism. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians managing addiction and mental health issues within correctional settings.

Family happiness and college students' smartphone addiction control: the chain mediation effect of emotion regulation and self-control.

More and more college students use smartphones for a long time every day. The problem of smartphone addiction has become a hot topic of social concern. It not only affects the physical and mental health of college students but also affects the development of families and society. To investigate the effect of family happiness on college students' smartphone addiction, we conducted a questionnaire survey and analysis. In this study, 214 college students were investigated using the adolescent family happiness questionnaire, college students' smartphone addiction scale, self-control scale, and emotion regulation scale. The data were analyzed by Amos and SPSS26.0 software. The results showed that: (1) Family happiness, emotion regulation, and self-control were significantly inversely correlated with smartphone addiction; (2) Emotion regulation and self-control served as partial mediators in the linkage between family happiness and smartphone addiction, and the chain mediation effect of emotion regulation and self-control was significant. Family happiness, emotion regulation, and self-control are key factors that significantly influence college students' smartphone addiction behavior. Family happiness not only has a direct effect on college students' smartphone addiction behavior but also has an indirect effect on it through the chain mediation effect of emotion regulation and self-control.

Manifestation of Anxiety in People with an Addictive (Alcoholic) Form of Behavior

The focus of this article is on the problem of addictive behavior, namely, the psychological characteristics of a person with alcohol dependence. The aim is to analyze and generalize the factors that contribute to the formation of addictive behavior and to highlight the socio-psychological nature of this dependence in relation to anxiety. A number of important psychological and pedagogical issues regarding the factors contributing to the formation of this form of behavior are considered. The features that help to understand and uncover the mechanisms of their action are also considered. It is pointed out that in the study of the personality of people with alcohol dependence, one of the dominant points of view is the phenomenon of anxiety. The researchers' interest is focused on understanding the nature of anxiety as a trigger. The psychology of anxiety is considered as an individually psychological feature of a person who is in one or another difficult situation for him. Recognizing the complexity of studying the personality of people with alcohol dependence, it emphasizes such characteristic features for the majority as short temper, lack of compromise, intolerance to the opinions of others, resentment, a tendency to revenge, a high level of conflict. It is impossible not to pay attention to the fact that there is a contradictory character in the conclusions about the ratio of primary and secondary anxiety and alcohol consumption as two mutually determining factors. An attempt is made to explain this discrepancy based on research. The different types of work significantly enrich our understanding of this phenomenon. Studies have shown that this category of people has a higher level of situational and personal anxiety. The revealed nature of the relationship indicates the peculiarities of conflict in this category. The data obtained show an example of traits that are interrelated with it.

Neural Correlates of Reactive Inhibition in Gambling Disorder: An FMRI Study with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Gambling Disorder (GD) is a condition characterized by a persistent and recurrent pattern of problematic gambling behavior. Despite significant advances in understanding the neurobiological correlates of Gambling Disorder phenomenological manifestation, there are still several unanswered questions regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying GD. There is substantial evidence from fMRI studies on the role of pre-SMA stimulation in psychiatric conditions with impairments in response inhibition such as behavioral addictions on enhancing the activity of the brain circuitry involving the right inferior (IFG) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (two cortical areas are differentially associated with two distinct aspects of control inhibition). In this study we utilized task-related functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to explore the impact of continuous Theta-Burst Stimulation (cTBS) on the pre-Supplementary Motor Area (pre-SMA) in patients with Gambling Disorder (GD). Four GD patients underwent cTBS on bilateral pre-SMA, administered with the MagVenture MagPro R30 stimulator with add-on theta-burst option (MagVenture INC.) using a Cool D-B80 figure-of-eight coil. cTBS consists of bursts of 3 pulses separated by 20 ms (i.e., 50 Hz) delivered repeatedly at theta frequency on the pre-SMA bilaterally. Changes in Functional Connectivity (FC) were assessed before and after Real or Sham treatment using CONN functional connectivity toolbox and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). The study aimed to determine whether cTBS influences the functional connectivity between pre-SMA and right prefrontal areas, specifically the right Inferior Frontal Gyrus (rIFG) and right Middle Frontal Gyrus (rMFG), and whether these changes correlate with treatment outcomes. Results indicated that real cTBS treatment increased functional connectivity between pre-SMA and both rIFG and rMFG, suggesting enhanced control inhibition. This was associated with a reduction in Gambling Disorder symptom severity, assessed with the Pathological Gambling version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (PG-YBOCS) and the Gambling Urges Questionnaire (GUQ), indicating a treatment response. Conversely, sham cTBS did not elicit the same positive FC changes in the reactive control inhibition network, aligning with behavioral measures. The study highlighted the potential of cTBS on pre-SMA in modulating inhibitory control circuit. Overall, this preliminary investigation provides a foundation for future investigations into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying GD and the potential efficacy of TMS interventions.

CORRELATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS AND AFFECT SCORE AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Objectives: In the modern era, internet use has turned out to be a significant arena for day-to-day life activities. Proper use of the internet is harmless, but misuse of this tool might lead to disruptions in psychological health and social relationships, yet available reports about the association between internet use and affect are inconsistent. Hence, the objective is to assess and correlate the psychological parameters with the affect score among medical college students using the depression anxiety stress scale (DASS)-21 questionnaire and positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) scale. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted on medical students in the age group of 17–22 years. 150 participants were recruited by random sampling. DASS-21 scale was used to assess depression, anxiety, and stress, consisting of 21 items designed to measure emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. PANAS is designed to assess individuals’ positive and negative moods. Results: Pearson’s correlation of these psychological parameters with affect scores had a significant negative correlation with the positive affect score (depression [p=0.003], anxiety [p=0.01], and stress [p<0.04]) and a significant positive correlation with negative affect score (depression [p<0.02], anxiety [p=0.0009], and stress [p=0.01]). Students should be closely monitored with regard to their use of the internet, and also, internet addiction and psychological behaviors can be reduced by providing early counseling and interventional therapy. Conclusion: Awareness about the harmful effects of excessive internet use should be provided so as to enhance the academic performance of students.

Examination of the relationship between health promotion behavior and game addiction in adolescents

ObjectivesAdolescence is defined as the transition period from childhood to adulthood. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between health promotion behavior and game addiction in a sample of Turkish adolescents. MethodsThe sample consisted of 340 adolescents aged 10–14 years (50.70 % boys). We collected the data using the ‘Adolescent Health Promotion Scale’ and ‘Adolescent Game Addiction Scale’ (Short Form). ResultsIt was determined that 87.3 % of the adolescents played digital games. Adolescents with chronic diseases and poor health status had higher digital game addiction scale scores (p < 0.05). There is a significant difference between health promotion behaviors of adolescents according to age, mother's education level, income level, health perception, and duration of playing digital games (p < 0.05). There is a significant difference between the mean scores of adolescents' game addiction scale and life appreciation (p < 0.01), health responsibility (rSpearman = −0.290, p < 0.01), exercise (rSpearman = −0.154, p < 0.01), stress management (rSpearman = −0.122, p < 0.01), nutrition sub-dimension (rSpearman = −0.200, p < 0.01) and total mean scores (rSpearman = −0.257, p < 0.01). The results of the regression analysis showed that the adolescent's health promotion behaviors predicted digital game addiction (p < 0.01). In terms of self-esteem in children, only the health responsibility of the adolescents was a significant predictor (p < 0.01). ConclusionKnowing the factors affecting adolescents' health promotion behaviors and game addiction is very important for pediatric nurses to identify adolescents who are at risk for game addiction and take necessary precautions.

Prediction of craving across studies: Acommentary on conceptual and methodological considerations when usingdata-driven methods.

Craving is a central feature of substance use disorders and disorders due to addictive behaviors. Considerable research has investigated neural mechanisms involved in the development and processing of craving. Recently, connectome-based predictive modeling, a data-driven method, has been used in four studies aiming to predict craving related to substance use, addictive behaviors, and food. Studies differed in methods, samples, and conceptualizations of craving. Within the commentary we aim to compare, contrast and consolidate findings across studies by considering conceptual and methodological features of the studies. We derive a theoretical model on the functional connectivity-craving relationships across studies.

Emotional interference and attentional bias in compulsive sexual behaviors disorder - An fMRI study on heterosexual males.

Despite the inclusion of the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases, emotional and cognitive impairments related to CSBD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the behavioral and neuronal effects of emotional interference on cognition among CSBD patients. Thirty heterosexual males with CSBD and matched healthy controls (HC) were studied with the Emotional Stroop Task using 5 categories of emotionally arousing words (sex-related, positive, fear-related, negative, neutral) during functional magnetic imaging. At the behavioral level, we found the main effect of the condition: sex-related words evoked a stronger Stroop effect than other conditions. At the neural level, we found a significant group effect. Among CSBD patients processing of sex-related words was related to increased activity in the right putamen, right thalamus, hippocampi, and left pulvinar, when compared to HC. We also found a negative correlation between neuronal activation and time spent on sexual activity during the week preceding study and numerous group differences in brain regions connected to the emotional and motivational processing of sexually explicit material, correlating with CSBD symptoms. Behavioral results indicate a specific attentional bias toward sex-related stimuli in both groups, while neural data uncovered stronger reactivity to sex-related words in CSBD compared to HC. This reactivity is related to CSBD symptoms and provides evidence for the interference of sex-related stimuli with cognition. Such results are firmly in line with the Incentive Salience Theory and conceptualizing CSBD as a behavioral addiction.

Analisis Psikospiritual Fenomena Relapse Bagi Kelompok ODGPZ di Loka Rehabilitasi BNN Deli Serdang Tahun 2024

Relapse is a relapse behavior that repeatedly occurs after undergoing rehabilitation characterized by the emergence of addictive mindsets, behaviors and actions after the withdrawal period. Drug cases create a sense of dependence caused by several factors, namely family factors, social factors, employment factors, psychological factors and spiritual factors. That's why the case causes uncontrolled emotions of wanting to collect. The focus of the research is to analyze in depth the psychospiritual of ODGPZ who experience continuous relapse in the Rehabilitation Workshop. The term psychospiritual refers to psychology and spirituality where the psychological dimension affects the spiritual experience and the spiritual dimension can affect psychology. Spirituality and psychology include the search for identity which raises various questions that can cause problems in oneself that make oneself anxious, depressed, unstable mood and feeling like they have no purpose in life. Psychospirituality is used as a tool or analytical knife for counselors to dismantle spiritual problems experienced by counselors and see patterns of relapsed behavior. The purpose of the study was to determine the pattern of relapse behavior for the ODGPZ group and analyze the pattern of relapse behavior using a psychospiritual perspective at the BNN Deli Serdang Rehabilitation Workshop. This study uses a qualitative research methodology with a case study method to clients who have experienced relapse. Data collection techniques were obtained by initial observation, interviews and documentation. The results of the analysis showed that the pattern of relapse behavior by ODGPZ was extraordinary enjoyment, suggestions from ODGPZ friends, increasing the spirit of activity, escaping from problems, and pressure and stigma from society. After the pattern was analyzed using a psychospiritual lens, the author found that there were clients who still found it difficult to refuse offers from ODGPZ friends, there were errors in interpreting the theological message of the Bible text, all problems were solved with drugs, finding meaning and purpose in life and social change. Therefore, psychospirituality is closely related to the intellectual and emotional of the individual which affects the mindset and behavior of individuals, especially drug user.

Detection and Characterization of Online Substance Use Discussions Among Gamers: Qualitative Retrospective Analysis of Reddit r/StopGaming Data.

Video games have rapidly become mainstream in recent decades, with over half of the US population involved in some form of digital gaming. However, concerns regarding the potential harms of excessive, disordered gaming have also risen. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been proposed as a tentative psychiatric disorder that requires further study by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is recognized as a behavioral addiction by the World Health Organization. Substance use among gamers has also become a concern, with caffeinated or energy drinks and prescription stimulants commonly used for performance enhancement. This study aimed to identify substance use patterns and health-related concerns among gamers among a population of Reddit users. We used the public streaming Reddit application programming interface to collect and analyze all posts from the popular subreddit, r/StopGaming. From this corpus of posts, we filtered the dataset for keywords associated with common substances that may be used to enhance gaming performance. We then applied an inductive coding approach to characterize substance use behaviors, gaming genres, and physical and mental health concerns. Potential disordered gaming behavior was also identified using the tentative IGD guidelines proposed by the APA. A chi-square test of independence was used to assess the association between gaming disorder and substance use characteristics, and multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze whether mental health discussion or the mention of any substance with sufficient sample size was significantly associated with IGD. In total, 10,551 posts were collected from Reddit from June 2017 to December 2022. After filtering the dataset for substance-related keywords, 1057 were included for further analysis, of which 286 mentioned both gaming and the use of ≥1 substances. Among the 286 posts that discussed both gaming and substance use, the most mentioned substances were alcohol (n=132), cannabis (n=104), and nicotine (n=48), while the most mentioned genres were role-playing games (n=120), shooters (n=90), and multiplayer online battle arenas (n=43). Self-reported behavior that aligned with the tentative guidelines for IGD was identified in 66.8% (191/286) posts. More than half, 62.9% (180/286) of the posts, discussed a health issue, with the majority (n=144) cited mental health concerns. Common mental health concerns discussed were depression and anxiety. There was a significant association between IGD and substance use (P<.001; chi-square test), and there were significantly increased odds of IGD among those who self-reported substance use (odds ratio 2.29, P<.001) and those who discussed mental health (odds ratio 1.64, P<.03). As gaming increasingly becomes highly prevalent among various age groups and demographics, a better understanding of the interplay and convergence among disordered gaming, substance use, and negative health impacts can inform the development of interventions to mitigate risks and promote healthier gaming habits.

Spanish Validation of the Brief Pornography Screen Within a Clinical Sample of Individuals with Gambling Disorder.

Problematic pornography use (PPU) shares characteristics with behavioral addictions, such as gambling disorder (GD), and PPU and GD may frequently co-occur. In order to fill existing gaps in screening instruments for PPU validated in GD, the study examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Brief Pornography Screen (BPS) within a clinical sample of individuals with GD. A total of 200 individuals seeking treatment for GD were consecutively recruited. The psychometric properties of the BPS were examined by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and testing for evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The CFA supported a one-factor solution showing high internal consistency (α = 0.81). The BPS showed convergent validity and correlated with psychological distress, general psychopathology, impulsive tendencies, and low self-directedness. The BPS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties and is therefore recommended as a brief screening tool for identifying probable PPU in individuals seeking treatment for GD.

THE INFLUENCE OF DRUG ADDICTION ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

The relationship between drug addiction and criminal behavior constitutes a complex interplay, as substance abuse impacts a wide spectrum of criminal activities. Building on foundational knowledge and guided by theoretical frameworks, multiple contributing factors influencing this interaction have been investigated. Socio-economic conditions, individual predispositions, and the availability of illicit substances are among the key factors in this context. By examining such factors, we aim to achieve a broader understanding of how substance abuse can trigger various criminal activities. Law enforcement strategies, treatment approaches, and their broader societal consequences are integral components of this study. Additionally, the examination of ethical considerations and human rights concerns that may arise is of importance. This study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to address the challenges posed by addiction and its relationship with criminality, with a focus on societal consequences and the potential for positive change. This can provide valuable insights into this issue, contributing to a deeper understanding and, among other things, its impact on the Western Balkans.

Patient and healthcare practitioner evaluation of patient-reported outcomes in bariatric surgery - a modified Delphi study.

Patient-reported outcomes are an important emerging metric increasingly utilised in clinical, research and registry settings. These outcomes, while vital, are underutilised and require refinement for the specific patient population of those undergoing bariatric surgery. This study aimed to investigate and compare how pre-surgical patients, post-surgical patients, and healthcare practitioners evaluate patient-reported outcomes of bariatric surgery to identify outcomes that are considered most important. A modified Delphi survey was distributed to patients pre- and post-surgery, and to a variety of healthcare practitioners involved in bariatric care. Across two rounds, participants were asked to rate a variety of physical and psychosocial outcomes of bariatric surgery from 0 (Not Important) to 10 (Extremely Important). Outcomes rated 8-10 by at least 70% of participants were considered highly important (prioritised). The highest-rated outcomes were compared between the three groups as well as between medical and allied health practitioner subgroups. 20 pre-surgical patients, 95 post-surgical patients, and 28 healthcare practitioners completed both rounds of the questionnaire. There were 58 outcomes prioritised, with 21 outcomes (out of 90, 23.3%) prioritised by all three groups, 13 (14.4%) by two groups, and 24 (26.7%) prioritised by a single group or subgroup. Unanimously prioritised outcomes included 'Co-morbidities', 'General Physical Health', 'Overall Quality of Life' and 'Overall Mental Health'. Discordant outcomes included 'Fear of Weight Regain', 'Suicidal Thoughts', 'Addictive Behaviours', and 'Experience of Stigma or Discrimination'. While there was considerable agreement between stakeholder groups on many outcomes, there remain several outcomes with discordant importance valuations that must be considered. In particular, healthcare practitioners prioritised 20 outcomes that were not prioritised by patients, emphasising the range of priorities across stakeholder groups. Future work will consider these priorities to ensure resulting measures encompass all important outcomes and are beneficial and valid for end users.

Understanding addictive behaviour of a group of slum dwelling female SLT users on the basis of PRIME theory: A case study in Odisha, India

ABSTRACT Context: Tobacco addiction is an important public health problem. Among several theories of addiction proposed, PRIME theory of motivation is found to be a comprehensive one to synthesise prevention strategies. Aims: This case study was conducted on the basis of PRIME theory to explain smokeless tobacco (SLT) addiction patterns among slum dwelling female residents of Cuttack district, Odisha. Settings and Design: Cuttack district of Odisha state and Qualitative synthesis. Methods and Material: Qualitative semistructured face-to-face interviews and framework analysis techniques were employed. The study was conducted over a period of 2 months between February 2020 and March 2020. Face-to-face interviews of 26 participants of Dasha Sahi slum using a semistructured questionnaire assessing responses based on five main themes including P, Plans; R, Responses; I, Impulses And Inhibitory Forces; M, Motives; and E, Evaluations of the said theory. Statistical Analysis Used: Verbatim transcripts were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Results: A majority of the participants were multiple SLT product users, and they did not have an immediate plan to quit. Most of the participants showed strong emotional attachment with these products and considered them the only source of pleasure (want) in a life full of miseries. The words “Tobacco” and “Nicotine” were medical jargons for them. Though they were aware of the harmful effects, they had a positive evaluative belief about its use because of cognitive dissonance. Most of them were habitual users living in an environment full of physical and social cues. Conclusions: This case study is well in line with the PRIME theory in explaining the addictive behaviour; a comprehensive multi-strategic approach was formulated for inculcating quitting behaviour among this disadvantaged section of the population as suggested by the proposer of this theory.

A Complex Relationship Among the Circadian Rhythm, Reward Circuit and Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

The human brain not only controls the various physiological functions but is also the prime regulator of circadian rhythms, rewards, and behaviors. Environmental factors, professional stress, and social disintegration are regarded as the initial causative factors of addiction behavior. Shift work, artificial light exposure at night, and chronic and acute jet lag influence circadian rhythm dysfunction. The result is impaired neurotransmitter release, dysfunction of neural circuits, endocrine disturbance, and metabolic disorder, leading to advancement in substance use disorder. There is a bidirectional relationship between chronodisruption and addiction behavior. Circadian rhythm dysfunction, neuroadaptation in the reward circuits, and alteration in clock gene expression in the mesolimbic areas influence substance use disorder (SUD), and chronotherapy has potential benefits in the treatment strategies. This review explores the relationship among the circadian rhythm dysfunction, reward circuit, and SUD. The impact of chronotherapy on SUD has also been discussed.

Using Network Analysis to Subgroup Risk Factors for Depressive Symptoms in College Students.

Network modeling has been suggested as an effective method to explore intricate relationships among antecedents, mediators, and symptoms. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the severity of depressive symptoms in college students affects the multivariate relationships among anhedonia, smartphone addiction, and mediating factors. A survey was conducted among 1347 Chinese college students (587 female) to assess depressive symptoms, anhedonia, addictive behaviors, anxiety, and insomnia. The participants were categorized the non-depressive symptom (NDS) and depressive symptom (DS) groups based on a cut-off score of 5 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Network analysis was performed to investigate the symptom-to-symptom influences of symptoms in these two groups. The network of the DS group was more densely connected than that of the NDS group. Social anticipatory anhedonia was a central factor for DS, while withdraw/escape (one factor of smartphone addiction) was a central factor for NDS. The DS group exhibited greater strength between the PHQ9 score and social anticipatory anhedonia, as well as between the PHQ9 score and alcohol misuse score, compared to the NDS group. On the other hand, the NDS group had higher strength between anxiety and feeling lost, as well as between anxiety and withdraw/escape, compared to the DS group. The findings suggest that there is a close relationship between social anhedonia, smartphone addiction, and alcohol consumption in the DS group. Addressing on ameliorating social anhedonia and smartphone addiction may be effective in preventing and managing depression in college students.

Health literacy and tobacco cessation among hypertensive individuals: A mixed method study

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and tobacco addiction are two major public health challenges in India that frequently coexist. About 30% of Indian adults have hypertension, while over one-fourth use some form of tobacco. So, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of tobacco consumption and identify associated socio-demographic factors among hypertensive patients in urban India and also further explored patient perspectives regarding tobacco use through qualitative interviews. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This mixed-method study was conducted among 305 hypertensive adults recruited from an urban tertiary hospital using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Additionally, 15 tobacco-consuming patients were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews regarding perceptions and behaviors related to tobacco. Descriptive statistics and multi-variable logistic regression models were applied for quantitative analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: The prevalence of ever tobacco use among hypertensive patients was 21%. Smokeless tobacco was the predominant form used. Male gender, urban locality, illiteracy, and lack of knowledge about tobacco hazards had a higher likelihood of tobacco consumption. Qualitative interviews provided complementary insights into triggers like peer influences and stress, barriers to quitting including withdrawal effects and system gaps, and participant perspectives on facilitating cessation. CONCLUSION: Tobacco consumption among hypertensives is higher than national averages. Tailored educational, motivational, and policy-level interventions addressing gaps in knowledge, risk perceptions, addiction behaviors, and cessation support systems can enable the promotion of tobacco abstinence and hypertension control in this vulnerable sub-group. The multi-method data provide actionable inputs for planning targeted control and prevention strategies addressing this dual burden.

Frequent absent mindedness and the neural mechanism trapped by mobile phone addiction

IntroductionWith the increased availability and sophistication of digital devices in the last decade, young people have become mainstream mobile phone users. Heavy mobile phone dependence causes affective problems (depression, anxiety) and loss of attention on current activities, leading to more cluttered thoughts. Problematic mobile phone use has been found to increase the occurrence of mind wandering, but the neural mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. MethodThe current study aimed to investigate the neural mechanism between mobile phone use and mind wandering. 459 university students (averaged age, 19.26 years) from datasets (ongoing research project named Gene-Brain-Behavior project, GBB) completed psychological assessments of mobile phone addiction and mind wandering and underwent resting-state functional connectivity (FC) scanning. FC matrix was constructed to further conduct correlation and mediation analyses. ResultsStudents with high mobile phone addiction scores were more likely to have high mind wandering scores. Functional connectivity among the default mode, motor, frontoparietal, basal ganglia, limbic, medial frontal, visual association, and cerebellar networks formed the neural basis of mind wandering. Functional connectivity between the frontoparietal and motor networks, between the default mode network and cerebellar network, and within the cerebellar network mediated the relationship between mobile phone addiction and mind wandering. ConclusionThe findings of this study confirm that mobile phone addiction is a risk factor for increased mind wandering and reveal that FC in several brain networks underlies this relationship. They contribute to research on behavioral addiction, education, and mental health among young adults.

Anime watching: is a new kind of addiction? Evaluation of psychopathologies and psychosocial factors associated with problematic anime watching among adolescents

BackgroundIn recent years, with the rapid development of technology, research on behavioral addiction concepts such as digital gaming disorders and problematic internet use has increased. As anime-watching has become widespread worldwide, it is thought that this behavior may be one of the areas of problematic technology use, especially in adolescence. However, studies evaluating problematic anime-watching behaviors within the framework of behavioral addictions are quite limited in the literature. In this study, problematic anime-watching behaviors, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and possible psychosocial factors were evaluated in 86 anime watchers aged between 12 and 18 years. Problematic anime-watching behaviors were evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria of other defined disorders related to addictive behaviors in ICD-11. A semi-structured interview tool was used to assess psychiatric comorbidities, and the IGDS9-SF adapted form for anime-watching, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, KIDCOPE, and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents were used to collect other data.ResultsIt was determined that 36.8% of the 86 adolescents in our study had problematic anime-watching behavior. Compared to other adolescents, the problematic anime-watching group had significantly lower self-efficacy scores and significantly higher social anxiety and avoidant coping scores. A significant relationship was found between social anxiety disorder and watching problematic anime.ConclusionsThe present study showed that problematic watching of anime may be a variant of behavioral addiction. In conclusion, the relationship between problematic anime-watching behaviors and mental health warrants further examination.

Operant Conditioning Neuromorphic Circuit With Addictiveness and Time Memory for Automatic Learning.

Most operant conditioning circuits predominantly focus on simple feedback process, few studies consider the intricacies of feedback outcomes and the uncertainty of feedback time. This paper proposes a neuromorphic circuit based on operant conditioning with addictiveness and time memory for automatic learning. The circuit is mainly composed of hunger output module, neuron module, excitement output module, memristor-based decision module, and memory and feedback generation module. In the circuit, the process of output excitement and addiction in stochastic feedback is achieved. The memory of interval between the two rewards is formed. The circuit can adapt to complex scenarios with these functions. In addition, hunger and satiety are introduced to realize the interaction between biological behavior and exploration desire, which enables the circuit to continuously reshape its memories and actions. The process of operant conditioning theory for automatic learning is accomplished. The study of operant conditioning can serve as a reference for more intelligent brain-inspired neural systems.