New technologies have become widespread in the last decades, becoming an essential tool for today’s population. However, due to the increase in its use, multiple problems have surfaced at a psychopathological level.

The main goal of this study is to review, in an updated manner, the existing bibliography on the problematic use of the Internet and online gambling in the adult population and its relationship with Mood Disorders, exploring beyond Major Depressive Disorders so as to include Bipolar Disorders.

A search was carried out in Medline, Tripdatabase and in the Virtual Health Library. We use the terms “Bipolar Disorder”, “Mood Disorders”; “Depressive disorders”; “Comorbidity”; “Problematic Internet use” and “Internet Gaming disorder”. Narrowing the search to the last 4 years and obtaining a total of 14 articles, of which only 10 were included after a thorough review.

A significant association was found between internet addiction in its different forms (Smartphone, Social Networks, Internet in general and IGD and MDD. A neuroanatomical correlation between Internet Gaming Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder was also established. A heterogeneity of criteria for addiction evaluation was observed. However, little information was found regarding the association between the addictive disorders and Bipolar Disorder.

The correlation between the behavioral addiction forms previously mentioned and bipolar disorder must be further studied. There is a clear association between internet addiction and major depressive disorder. The established neuroanatomical correlation promotes the study of the applicability of brain stimulation techniques as a potential treatment for this type of pathology.

No significant relationships.

The use of internet among children and adolescent has risen in the last decade. In addition, suicide is the second cause of death among adolescents. Previous research have indicated the relation between Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and different mental health problems. Nonetheless there is a lack of studies analyzing the relation between suicide behaviour and PIU

The main objective of the present work was to analyze the relation between Problematic Internet Use and suicide behaviour and depression in adolescents

A total of 1036 adolescents (450 males) were randomly selected. Mean age was 15,21 (SD = 1,23). The Adolescent Behavioural Suicide Scale SENTIA, The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale Short Form (RADS-SF), and The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) were used. A Manova was performed with two groups (risk and non-risk to PIU) as independent variables and suicide and depression scores as dependent variables

The results revealed a statiscally signifficant association between PIU and both depression and suicide behaviour (λ = 0.245, F(2,81,000) = 15.549, P ≤ 0.001, η² = 0.116). In particular, adolescents at a higher risk for PIU obtained higher scores on suicide behaviours and depression.

Results found in the present study reveal that adolescents have moderate prevalence rates for PIU. Also adolescents at risk for PIU with a total of more than 3 hour sof internet use everyday were at a higher risk for suicide. Prevention strategies should be devote to intervene in internet use as it maybe a variable affecting suicide behaviour.

No significant relationships.

Adolescents spend more time on the Internet than adults, making them susceptible to problematic Internet use (PIU). Evidence shows that PIU has a negative impact on self-esteem among adolescents, disturbing the development of emotional regulation, which makes them more likely to develop depressive symptoms subsequently. However, there is lack of literature focusing on the process that self-esteem may mediate the association between PIU and depressive symptoms.

This study aimed to examine the prospective links between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms in adolescence.

A total of 1,736 adolescents completed this longitudinal study. The baseline survey was conducted in 2019, and the follow-up surveys were performed at 1-year and 2-year later. Problematic Internet use, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms were measured. A cascade model was used to examine the longitudinal associations between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms.

The mean (SD) age of participants was 13.6 (1.5) years at baseline. The final results observed significant within-time associations between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms at each time point. PIU and low level of self-esteem could predict subsequent depressive symptoms among adolescents, and depressive symptoms were also associated with subsequent PIU and self-esteem.

Both problematic Internet use and self-esteem show bidirectional predictions with depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Health-related professionals, schools and families should be aware of the findings of bidirectional associations. Adolescents with problematic Internet use and lower self-esteem should be paid more attention to attenuate the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

No significant relationships.

According to more recent approaches on problematic internet use (PIU), using the internet can be seen as a way of compensating for psychosocial malaise. Taking semiotic cultural psychology theory as its theoretical framework, this study examines the role of affect-laden assumptions concerning the world, known as latent dimensions of sense (LDSs), in promoting (or not) adaptive responses, including internet use as a maladaptive strategy against problems and difficulties.

To test a theoretical model in which PIU is predicted by LDSs through the mediation of high levels of psychosocial malaise.

We measured PIU (using the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2), LDSs (View of Context questionnaire), negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), social anxiety (Interaction Anxiousness Scale) and loneliness (Italian Loneliness Scale) in 764 Italian adolescents (mean age 15.05 years, s.d. = 1.152 years). LDSs were detected using a multiple correspondence analysis; after confirmatory composite analysis, partial least squares structural equation modelling with higher-order components was performed to test the mediation model.

The results show a relationship between LDSs corresponding to an extreme negative evaluation of the sociocultural context, experienced as absolutely unreliable, and PIU through the mediation of psychosocial malaise (95% CI 0.101– 0.171; P = 0.000).

Overall, the findings suggest that PIU might be a way of compensating for unpleasant states in a context perceived in an extremely negative and homogenising way, i.e. as totally lacking resources and trustworthy people.

Although there are several empirical studies exploring the relationship between problematic Internet use and personality traits, few had considered perfectionism.

To explore the association between generalized problematic Internet use and perfectionism.

A sample of 433 Portuguese university students (Mage = 20.15 years, SD = 1.77, range = 18-25 years) completed the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2/GPIU and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Composite Scale – short version.

GPIU total score (rs=.16**), Mood Regulation (rs=.22**), and Deficient Self-Regulation (rs=.13**) were correlated with Positive Striving factor. GPIU total score (rs=.38**), Preference for Online Social Interaction (rs=.16**), Mood Regulation (rs=.28**), Deficient Self-Regulation (rs = .33**), and Negative Consequences (rs=.41**) were significantly correlated with Evaluative Concerns factor. A one-way between groups analysis of variance was conducted to explore the relation between GPIU and perfectionism. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their GPIU risk levels (Group1:low-risk; Group2:medium-risk; Group3:high-risk). There was a statistically difference at p >.05 level in Positive Striving scores for the three risk level groups: F (2,430)=4.39, p=.013, and in Evaluative Concerns scores, F (2,430)=28.83, p=<.001. Post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey USD test, for Positive Striving, indicated that the mean score for Group1 (M=39.21, SD=8.56) was significantly different from Group3 (M=43.69, SD=9.74). Considering Evaluative Concerns, the mean score for Group1 (M=39.86, SD=11.31) was significantly different from Group2 (M=46.91, SD=11.42) and from Group3 (M=51.75, SD=8.54).

GPIU is consistently related to maladaptive perfectionism. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the bidirectional association between GPIU and perfectionism traits.

There is paucity of researches addressing the relationship between individuals struggling to identify, express and communicate their emotions and problematic internet use, especially among medical students.

To assess problematic internet use in Tunisian medical students and to address its relationship with emotion regulation skills.

First to fifth-year undergraduate medical students registered in the medical school of Sousse, Tunisia, were offered to answer an online questionnaire survey, involving sociodemographic and clinical data, Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).

A total of 175 medical students participated in the study with a median age of 22 (20-23) years and a gender ratio of 0.3. Median score of IAT was 40 (30-48). Twenty-four percent of medical students (n=42) reported problematic Internet use. Higher scores of IAT were significantly associated with the perception of an unsatisfactory relationship with parents, not having a leisure activity, family history of psychiatric disorders, personal health conditions and regular alcohol consumption. Scores of IAT were strongly and positively correlated with the following DERS subscores: Non acceptance of emotional responses (r=0.328**), Difficulties engaging in goal directed behaviors (r=0.366**), Impulse control difficulties (r=0.238**), Limited access to emotional regulation strategies (r=0.311**), and Lack of emotional clarity (r=0.311**).

Problematic internet use seems to emerge as part of a cluster of symptoms related to ineffective emotion regulation skills. Hence, training for affective regulation abilities appears strategically useful in the control of Internet use.

Problematic internet users suffer from impairment in a variety of cognitive domains. Research suggests that COMT haplotypes exert differential effects on cognition. We sought to investigate differences in the genetic profiles of problematic internet users and whether those could shed light on potential cognitive differences.

We recruited 206 non-treatment seeking participants with heightened impulsive traits and obtained cross-sectional demographic, clinical, and cognitive data as well as the genetic haplotypes of COMT rs4680 and rs4818. We identified 24 participants who presented with problematic internet use (PIU) and compared PIU and non-PIU participants using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi square as appropriate.

PIU was associated with worse performance on decision making, rapid visual processing, and spatial working memory tasks. Genetic variants were associated with altered cognitive performance, but rates of PIU did not statistically differ for particular haplotypes of COMT.

This study indicates that PIU is characterized by deficits in decision making and working memory domains; it also provides evidence for elevated impulsive responses and impaired target detection on a sustained attention task, which is a novel area worth exploring further in future work. The effects observed in the genetic influences on cognition of PIU subjects imply that the genetic heritable components of PIU may not lie within the genetic loci influencing COMT function and cognitive performance; or that the genetic component in PIU involves many genetic polymorphisms each conferring only a small effect.

Excessive use of the internet is increasingly recognised as a global public health concern. Individual studies have reported cognitive impairment in problematic internet use (PIU), but have suffered from various methodological limitations. Confirmation of cognitive deficits in PIU would support the neurobiological plausibility of this disorder.

To conduct a rigorous meta-analysis of cognitive performance in PIU from case–control studies; and to assess the impact of study quality, the main type of online behaviour (for example gaming) and other parameters on the findings.

A systematic literature review was conducted of peer-reviewed case–controlled studies comparing cognition in people with PIU (broadly defined) with that of healthy controls. Findings were extracted and subjected to a meta-analysis where at least four publications existed for a given cognitive domain of interest.

The meta-analysis comprised 2922 participants across 40 studies. Compared with controls, PIU was associated with significant impairment in inhibitory control (Stroop task Hedge's g = 0.53 (s.e. = 0.19–0.87), stop-signal task g = 0.42 (s.e. = 0.17–0.66), go/no-go task g = 0.51 (s.e. = 0.26–0.75)), decision-making (g = 0.49 (s.e. = 0.28–0.70)) and working memory (g = 0.40 (s.e. = 0.20–0.82)). Whether or not gaming was the predominant type of online behaviour did not significantly moderate the observed cognitive effects; nor did age, gender, geographical area of reporting or the presence of comorbidities.

PIU is associated with decrements across a range of neuropsychological domains, irrespective of geographical location, supporting its cross-cultural and biological validity. These findings also suggest a common neurobiological vulnerability across PIU behaviours, including gaming, rather than a dissimilar neurocognitive profile for internet gaming disorder.

S.R.C. consults for Cambridge Cognition and Shire. K.I.’s research activities were supported by Health Education East of England Higher Training Special interest sessions. A.E.G.'s research has been funded by Innovational grant (VIDI-scheme) from ZonMW: (91713354). N.A.F. has received research support from Lundbeck, Glaxo-SmithKline, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), Servier, Cephalon, Astra Zeneca, Medical Research Council (UK), National Institute for Health Research, Wellcome Foundation, University of Hertfordshire, EU (FP7) and Shire. N.A.F. has received honoraria for lectures at scientific meetings from Abbott, Otsuka, Lundbeck, Servier, Astra Zeneca, Jazz pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, UK College of Mental Health Pharmacists and British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP). N.A.F. has received financial support to attend scientific meetings from RANZCP, Shire, Janssen, Lundbeck, Servier, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cephalon, International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, International Society for Behavioral Addiction, CINP, IFMAD, ECNP, BAP, the World Health Organization and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. N.A.F. has received financial royalties for publications from Oxford University Press and payment for editorial duties from Taylor and Francis. J.E.G. reports grants from the National Center for Responsible Gaming, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Brainsway, and Roche and others from Oxford Press, Norton, McGraw-Hill and American Psychiatric Publishing outside of the submitted work.