ABSTRACT
Background: Youth involvement in gaming has become an important concern for mental health professionals due to its significant impact on functionality and relationships. However, the gaming motives and associated family relationships and personality traits in the Indian context are poorly understood. Aim: The study examined problematic online gaming, including Internet gaming disorder in connection to gaming motives and personality, especially as they impact family relationships among Indian youth. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 179 participants (86 males; 93 females) with the age range of 18-25 years who were involved in Internet gaming in the last 1 year. The subjects were recruited using an online survey. Tools used were brief and included the Gaming Usage Questionnaire, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form, Motivation for Online Gaming Questionnaire UCLA Loneliness Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, Brief Family Relationships Questionnaire, and MINI International Personality Item Pool. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.99 ± 2.202 years. A stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that escape and competition motives, low cohesion in family relationships, low level of conscientiousness, and low level of intellect/imagination contributed to problematic gaming behaviors. Conclusions: The study established a relationship between gaming motives and both internal and external factors associated with problematic online gaming. Generalizing the findings across a larger youth population would help in developing informed preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing a gaming disorder.
ABSTRACT
The alarming growth in online gaming activities in recent years calls for an understanding of the determinants of gaming behaviors among adolescents and young adults. A systematic review was conducted to collate and review all the research studies concerning the understanding of the gaming motives. Relevant published articles were identified through the electronic search from PubMed, Medline, PsycInfo, Sciencedirect, and APA databases. The review identified four major topics of gaming motives, namely gaming behavior, gaming usage pattern, gaming demographics, and associated psychopathology. The review highlighted the role of motives in gaming use and psychopathology. The age of the player was associated with the expression of these motives. Further insights were drawn into the role of motive in the recreational and problematic use of gaming. The study findings emphasize the need to develop adequate interventions to prevent the occurrence of psychological impairments that would result from potentially problematic video gaming.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Mental health difficulties have been found to be associated with internet addiction, which makes it a multifaceted problem. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between internet addiction and affective states (depression, anxiety, and stress). Material and Methods: The study sample consisted of 731 individuals (403 males and 328 females) ranging in age from 18 to 25 years. We used an observational survey design to study participants with an internet addiction test and depression, anxiety, and stress scale. Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of the sample was 22.58 ± 2.80 years. Stress and depression were found to play a major role in internet addiction in the regression analysis. Conclusions: The study supports the association between internet use and stress and depression. The findings imply the need for early identification and intervention of affective states in the context of unhealthy internet use.
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated psychological distress led people to engage in attributing several health-related behaviors and consequences at the community and international levels. A scoping review was conducted to explore the existing literature on the use of attribution theory in understanding the psychological phenomena underlying health-related behavior and consequences during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted the literature review using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework for scoping review. Studies were identified through a comprehensive search of the following six databases: MEDLINE through PubMed, ProQuest, JSTOR, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. All databases were searched for entries in English from September 2019 to September 2021 to correspond to the advent of the pandemic. Results: Several elements influence attributions and the influences of the attributions on people's responses to information and the consequences of attributions in influencing people's responses to information and behavior changes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of attribution errors leading to stigmatization and responsibility framing, both crucial for implementing pandemic control measures and enhancing psychological well-being, were also highlighted. Conclusion: More research is needed in this field to inform people-centered policies and pandemic preparedness plans to mitigate the potentially devastating psychosocial consequence of the pandemic or other public health emergencies.
ABSTRACT
The Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND) is a widely used test for assessing physical nicotine dependence. However, there is a need to assess the psychometric properties of FTND to assess its role in treatment outcome studies. The aim of the present investigation was to review the psychometric properties of the FTND. A broad systematic literature search was performed from Pubmed and PsycINFO from 2000 to 2019. The publication language was limited to English. Two review authors performed the study selection and extracted the data. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Rayyan software used to screen relevant studies. A total of 1471 articles retrieved from the search, of which 33 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies related to testing the reliability of the FTND were analyzed. Twenty-five studies evaluated the Cronbach alpha of the test. Analysis of the studies revealed the questionable psychometric qualities of the adapted versions of the test across different cultures and ethnicity. It also suggested that it may not tap the appropriate constructs that would predict smoking patterns in light smokers, e-cigarette smokers, and smokeless tobacco users. Thus, further research must focus on improving the psychometric properties of FTND to enhance the measurement of nicotine dependence.
