Is Internet addiction a psychopathological condition distinct from pathological gambling?

AIMS: The behavioural-addiction perspective suggests that Internet addiction (IA) and pathological gambling (PG) could share similar characteristics with substance dependence. Despite the similarities between IA and PG, it is not clear whether these disorders share different or similar psychopathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to test whether IA patients presented different psychological symptoms, temperamental traits, coping strategies and relational patterns compared with PG patients. The hypothesis was that IA patients will show greater interpersonal disengagement than PG patients. METHODS: Two clinical groups (31 IA patients and 11 PG patients) and a control group (38 healthy subjects) matched with the clinical groups for gender and age were enrolled. The clinical groups were gathered in a psychiatric service for IA and PG in a hospital. Anxiety, depression, coping strategies, attachment, temperament, and global assessment of functioning were measured. MANOVAs, ANOVAs and post-hoc comparisons were carried out in order to test the hypothesis. RESULTS: Despite IA and PG showing similar differences with the control group on the levels of depression, anxiety and global functioning, the two clinical groups showed different temperamental, coping and social patterns. Specifically IA patients compared with the PG patients showed a greater mental and behavioural disengagement associated with an important interpersonal impairment. The two clinical groups shared an impulsive coping strategy and socio-emotional impairments. CONCLUSIONS: Despite IA and PG patients presenting similar clinical symptoms, IA condition was characterised by a more relevant mental, behavioural, and social disengagement compared to PG condition.

Plasma magnesium level and psychomotor retardation in major depressed patients.

Numerous studies have been performed on magnesium (Mg) metabolism in patients with mood disorders but consistent results have not been obtained. To date, systematic clinical data about Mg levels in major depressed patients according to the psychopathological profile are not available. In the present study we have investigated the relationship between plasma Mg level severity of symptoms and specific psychopathological dimensions (anhedonia and retardation) in 53 mild-to-moderately depressed patients (M/F = 21/32; mean age 46.49 +/- 13.48). The psychopathological status was assessed using standard psychometric evaluation scales: HAM-D for severity of depression, HAM-A for severity of anxiety symptoms, DRRS for psychomotor retardation and SHAPS for anhedonia. We did not find any significant correlation between total plasma Mg levels (0.86 +/- 0.09 mmol/L), severity of depression (HAM-D = 17.13 +/- 6.76) and anxiety (HAM-A = 16.62 +/- 6.60). A statistically significant correlation between Mg levels and psychomotor retardation was observed. Patients with higher psychomotor retardation scores (DRRS = 20.41 +/- 7.72) showed higher plasma Mg levels (0.89 +/- 0.07 mmol/L), even though they remained in the normal range, in comparison to patients with lower retardation scores (DRRS = 7.29 +/- 3.80; Mg = 0.82 +/- 0.10 mmol/L). A relationship between catecholamines and Mg metabolism has been described and our results support the hypothesis that hypermagnesaemia might lead to hypoactivity and psychomotor retardation which is so often observed in depressed patients.