Internet gaming disorder, exercise and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The role of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

One of the issues that have risen the past few decades due to excessive use of technological advances is internet gaming disorder (IGD). Past research has concluded that there is a negative association between IGD and exercise as well as a positive association between IGD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the existing studies on these subjects are scarce. Furthermore, researchers have showcased that symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress are positively associated with IGD and ADHD but negatively associated with exercise. Consequently, maybe these symptoms mediate the relationships between IGD, exercise and ADHD. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between IGD and exercise as well as between IGD and ADHD. A correlational study was conducted on 515 adults through Google forms. The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form was used to detect IGD symptoms, the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire was utilized so as to evaluate participants' leisure - time exercise habits, and the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale was used to assess ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 was utilized to evaluate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It was found that there is a negative correlation between IGD symptoms and leisure time exercise as well as a positive correlation between IGD symptoms and ADHD symptoms. Moreover, when taking all the variables that were examined into consideration, it was indicated that inattention symptoms and impulsivity symptoms were significantly associated with IGD symptoms whereas symptoms of depression were partially and significantly mediating the association between IGD symptoms and Attention deficit as well as the association between IGD symptoms and Impulsivity. The findings of the current study suggest that people who deal with IGD symptoms tend to exercise less on their free time. Additionally, people with more IGD symptoms display not only more ADHD symptoms, symptoms of inattention and impulsivity specifically, but also more symptoms of depression. Therefore, clinicians should evaluate the possible coexistence of such symptoms when treating people with IGD, in order to prevent as well as treat more efficiently IGD and its consequences.

Coping Strategies in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and their relation to maternal stress and depression.

Having a child with autism may have a strong impact on the family, especially on mothers, who are usually the primary caregivers of children with autism. Parents of children with autism report more mental health problems compared to parents of children with typical development or other developmental disabilities. Parental copying strategies may play a significant role when parents have to overcome stressful situations during the child development. The present study aimed to investigate the coping strategies used by mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and their relation to maternal stress and depression. One hundred and forty-three (143) mothers (mean age 42.7 years) of children with ASD (6-17years), who attended the ASD Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Child Psychiatry, at a Children's Hospital, participated in the current study. Mothers completed a series of questionnaires: a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Scales (F-COPES), and the Parenting Stress Index Short-Form (PSI-SF). Mothers with higher educational level scored significantly lower in total F-COPES and its subscale "reframing". Increased daily hours related to child care and the child's medication were additional factors significantly associated with lower scores on "reframing". Reframing subscale was also negatively correlated with "parental distress", whereas "passive appraisal" was positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Lower scores on "mobilizing family to acquire" and "accept help" were associated with family life being more seriously affected. Coping strategies of mothers of children with ASD are associated with a number of factors related to personal characteristics of caregivers, child treatment and family characteristics. Mental health professionals should examine factors that may strengthen coping strategies that handle the challenges of having a child with ASD.

Refugees in Europe: national overviews from key countries with a special focus on child and adolescent mental health.

Many European countries are becoming multicultural at a previously unseen rate. The number of immigrants including refugees has considerably increased since 2008, and especially after the beginning of the war in Syria. In 2015, 88,300 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in the Member States of the European Union (EU) and most came from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Eritrea. As a reaction to increased immigration, governments in many countries including Germany, Sweden and Norway implemented more restrictive immigration policy. A requirement for all countries, however, is the protection and welfare provision for all arriving children, regardless of their nationality, ensured by international and national legal frameworks. This paper provides an overview of the post 2015 immigration crisis in key European countries with a special focus on current demographics, refugee children, mental health studies, policies and practical support available for refugees.

Suicidality and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: There is growing evidence in the literature that a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an important contributory factor to suicidality in adolescents. However, there is no existing review of the literature examining the relationship between PTSD and suicidality in adolescents. This study aims to provide the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between PTSD and suicidality in adolescents. METHODS: Five bibliographic databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and PILOT) were screened for suitable articles. Twenty-eight studies (which provided 28 independent samples) were included in the review. The overall meta-analyses of the association between PTSD and suicidality were followed by subgroup and meta-regression analyses. RESULTS: A highly significant positive association was found between PTSD and suicidality (d = 0.701, 95% CI 0.555-0.848). The subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that the association between PTSD and suicidality persisted whilst adjusting for various sources of between-study heterogeneity, such as, different levels of severity of suicidality, target groups, and methodological quality of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidality in adolescents with PTSD is a major problem which requires further research effort. The implications of these results are discussed.

Catastrophic worries in mothers of adolescents with internalizing disorders.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates worrying in mothers of adolescents with internalizing disorders, and tests the hypothesis that these mothers will produce a greater number of worries with higher catastrophic content compared to control groups. DESIGN: Differences in worry steps and in catastrophic content of worries were investigated in a cross-sectional, between groups design, employing a clinical internalizing group, a clinical control, and a non-referred control group. METHODS: Twenty-five mothers of adolescents with internalizing disorders, 24 mothers of adolescents with externalizing disorders, and 28 mothers with non-referred adolescents participated in two interviews about their 'real' pre-existing worries and their worries in response to a hypothetical situation. RESULTS: The internalizing group produced both a greater number of worry steps and a higher catastrophic content when they talked about their 'real' worries, compared to both control groups. They also produced a greater number of worry steps in response to a hypothetical situation compared to the other two groups. The number of worry steps and the level of catastrophic content of 'real' worries were associated with adolescent depression and anxiety. Additionally, the number of worry steps and the level of catastrophic content of worries in response to a hypothetical situation were related to adolescent depression. The number of worry steps in 'real' worries and the level of catastrophic content in hypothetical worries were also associated with maternal depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers of adolescents with internalizing disorders may worry more catastrophically about their children than other mothers.