ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the relative risks of addiction to the Internet, online gaming and online social networking of college students in six Asian countries/regions (Singapore, Hong Kong [HK]/Macau, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan) compared with students in the United States (US). It also explored the relative risks of depression and anxiety symptoms among students with Internet-related addictions from these countries/regions. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A convenience sample of 8067 college students aged between 18 and 30 years was recruited from seven countries/regions. Students completed a survey about their use of the Internet, online gaming and online social networking as well as the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: For all students, the overall prevalence rates were 8.9% for Internet use addiction, 19.0% for online gaming addiction and 33.1% for online social networking addiction. Compared with the US students, Asian students showed higher risks of online social networking addiction but displayed lower risks of online gaming addiction (with the exception of students from HK/Macau). Chinese and Japanese students also showed higher risks of Internet addiction compared with the US students. In general, addicted Asian students were at higher risks of depression than the addicted US students, especially among Asian students who were addicted to online gaming. Addicted Asian students were at lower risks of anxiety than the addicted US students, especially among Asian students who were addicted to online social networking, and addicted students from HK/Macau and Japan were more likely to have higher relative risks of depression. CONCLUSIONS: There are country/regional differences in the risks of Internet-related addictions and psychiatric symptoms. It is suggested that country/region-specific health education programmes regarding Internet-related addictions are warranted to maximise the efficiency of prevention and intervention. These programmes should attempt to tackle not only problematic Internet-related behaviours but also mood disturbances among college students.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/epidemiology , Behavior, Addictive/epidemiology , Depression/epidemiology , Internet/statistics & numerical data , Social Networking , Students/psychology , Video Games/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Asia/epidemiology , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Risk , Students/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States/epidemiology , Universities , Young AdultABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between meaning discrepancy and emotional distress (i.e. anxiety and depression) among patients with cancer in a collectivistic culture, and to explore the stress-buffering effect of posttraumatic growth on this relationship. We collected data from 198 patients with cancer who completed questionnaires measuring meaning discrepancy, posttraumatic growth, anxiety and depression. Correlation analyses indicated that meaning discrepancy positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.477, P < 0.01) and depression (r = 0.452, P < 0.01). Three structural equation models were built to compare competing hypotheses. Results showed that the moderation model fits the data better than the mediation and independence models (χ(2) /df = 1.31, RMSEA = 0.040, CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.92). The present study demonstrated a positive association between meaning discrepancy and anxiety/depression, and a protective effect of posttraumatic growth on mental health by buffering traumatic stress. The study has clinical implications for the medical practice of oncology; doctors, nurses, relatives and counsellors should attend to the psychological care of patients with cancer by exploring their meaning discrepancy, and promoting the use of posttraumatic growth as a psychological resource to buffer the anxiety and depression of patients with cancer.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/etiology , Depressive Disorder/etiology , Neoplasms/psychology , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cost of Illness , Epidemiologic Methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Socioeconomic Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
The effects of berberine on ischemic ventricular arrhythmias induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of canine were reported. The results showed that berberine was able to get 99% suppression (P less than 0.001) on the total ventricular premature beats (VPCs) by 12 hours after ligature of LAD, the paired VPCs, ventricular tachycardias and VPCs with R on T were also significantly suppressed; and the ventricular tachycardia induced by programmed ventricular stimulation was effectively inhibited by berberine. In addition, the results revealed that the decrease of cardiac output caused by ligature of LAD was obviously attenuated by berberine. The mechanisms of the antiarrhythmic effect of berberine on ischemic ventricular tachyarrhythmias were discussed.
