ABSTRACT
Many researchers and professionals have reported nonsubstance addiction to online entertainments in adolescents. However, very few scales have been designed to assess problem Internet use in this population, in spite of their high exposure and obvious vulnerability. The aim of this study was to review the currently available scales for assessing problematic Internet use and to validate a new scale of this kind for use, specifically in this age group, the Problematic Internet Entertainment Use Scale for Adolescents. The research was carried out in Spain in a gender-balanced sample of 1131 high school students aged between 12 and 18 years. Psychometric analyses showed the scale to be unidimensional, with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.92), good construct validity, and positive associations with alternative measures of maladaptive Internet use. This self-administered scale can rapidly measure the presence of symptoms of behavioral addiction to online videogames and social networking sites, as well as their degree of severity. The results estimate the prevalence of this problematic behavior in Spanish adolescents to be around 5 percent.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Behavior, Addictive/diagnosis , Behavior, Addictive/epidemiology , Internet , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Psychometrics , Schools , Spain , Students , Video GamesABSTRACT
En España, las Comunidades Terapéuticas (CT) constituyen un modelo de tratamiento común en las adicciones, aunque apenas existe investigación acerca de su eficacia y la persistencia de sus logros. Objetivos: Evaluarlos efectos a corto, medio y largo plazo del tratamiento de la adicción al alcohol o cocaína en las CT de la Fundación Salud y Comunidad. Diseño: Estudio piloto descriptivo, con un diseño secuencial de cohorte. Se aplicó una encuesta diseñada ad hoc a 91 usuarios para conocer su evolución en los diferentes periodos de seguimiento (1, 3, 5 ó 10 años después de su salida de la CT): variables sociodemográficas, de uso de la/s sustancia/s psicoactiva/s y relacionadas con la estancia en la CT. Se describe el cambio entre antes de la CT y en la actualidad respecto a variables académicas, laborales, de consumo de droga/s, salud, adaptación socio-familiar y comportamiento delictivo. Resultados: las cohortes mostraron un patrón previo relativamente común, recibiendo un tratamiento similar. Los usuarios afirman haber disminuido el hábito de consumo frecuente de la droga principal, encontrando un 48.9% que no ha recaído ni siquiera mediante un consumo ocasional de la/s droga/s. También perciben haber mejorado su salud y sus relaciones familiares, así como el comportamiento agresivo y problemas legales derivados del consumo de droga/s. Conclusiones: tras su rehabilitación en una CT, los usuarios manifiestan una disminución global del consumo de drogas y perciben una mejora a nivel de salud, familia, violencia y problemáticas derivadas del consumo (AU)
In Spain, the Therapeutic Community (TC) constitutes a common model of treatment in the field of addictions, although there hardly exists any investigation about its efficiency and the persistence of its attainments. Aims: To evaluate the short, half and long term effects of treatment of addiction to alcohol or cocaine in the TC run by Fundación Salud y Comunidad (Foundation Health and Community). Design: descriptive pilot study, with a sequential design of cohort. 91 users completed a survey specifically designed to know their evolution at different follow-up periods (1, 3, 5 or 10 years after their exit from the TC): socio-demographic, psychoactive substance use, other variables related to the stay at the TC. Changes between before the TC and the present time regarding variables such as academic, labour, drug consumption, health, family and social adaptation and their criminal behaviour are described. Results: the cohorts showed a relatively common previous socio-demographic pattern having received a similar treatment. The users reported to have diminished the frequent consumption of the main drug, having 48.9% never relapsed even through an occasional consumption of the drug/s. Also they perceived to have improved their health and family relations, as well as their aggressive behaviour and legal problems linked with their consumption of drug/s. Conclusions: after their rehabilitation in a TC, the users report a global decrease of the consumption of drugs and perceive an improvement of their health, family relations, violence and other problems linked to their former drug use (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Alcoholics/education , Alcoholics/history , Cocaine-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Cocaine-Related Disorders/pathology , Pilot Projects , Alcoholics/psychology , Alcoholics/statistics & numerical data , Cocaine-Related Disorders/complications , Cocaine-Related Disorders/history , Cocaine-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Cocaine-Related Disorders/therapy , Therapeutic CommunityABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: In Spain, the Therapeutic Community (TC) constitutes a common model of treatment in the field of addictions, although there hardly exists any investigation about its efficiency and the persistence of its attainments. AIMS: To evaluate the short, half and long term effects of treatment of addiction to alcohol or cocaine in the TC run by "Fundacion Salud y Comunidad" (Foundation Health and Community). DESIGN: descriptive pilot study, with a sequential design of cohort. 91 users completed a survey specifically designed to know their evolution at different follow-up periods (1, 3, 5 or 10 years after their exit from the TC): socio-demographic, psychoactive substance use, other variables related to the stay at the TC. Changes between before the TC and the present time regarding variables such as academic, labour, drug consumption, health, family and social adaptation and their criminal behaviour are described. RESULTS: the cohorts showed a relatively common previous socio-demographic pattern having received a similar treatment. The users reported to have diminished the frequent consumption of the main drug, having 48.9% never relapsed even through an occasional consumption of the drug/s. Also they perceived to have improved their health and family relations, as well as their aggressive behaviour and legal problems linked with their consumption of drug/s. CONCLUSIONS: after their rehabilitation in a TC, the users report a global decrease of the consumption of drugs and perceive an improvement of their health, family relations, violence and other problems linked to their former drug use.
