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Gambling disorder is the only behavioral addiction recognized as a clinical disorder in DSM-5, and Internet gaming disorder is included as a condition requiring further research. ICD-11 categorizes gambling and gaming disorders as disorders due to addictive behaviors. Additional behavioral addictions may include compulsive sexual behavior disorder, compulsive buying-shopping disorder, and problematic use of social media. This narrative review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding these five (potential) disorders due to addictive behaviors. All five (potential) disorders are clinically relevant and prevalent. Behavioral addictions frequently co-occur with other mental and behavioral problems, such as depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Validated diagnostic instruments exist, with empirical support varying across conditions. No medications have approved indications from regulatory bodies for behavioral addictions, and cognitive-behavioral therapy has the most empirical support for efficacious treatment. Given that behavioral addictions are prevalent, frequently co-occur with psychiatric disorders, may often go undiagnosed and untreated, and have been linked to poorer treatment outcomes, active screening and treatment are indicated. Public health considerations should be expanded, and impacts of modern technologies should be investigated more intensively. Treatment optimization involving pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, neuromodulation, and their combination warrants additional investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile phone bans in secondary schools are claimed to reduce student distraction and promote learning and face-to-face socializing. Currently, the evidence on phone bans is limited. The aim of this preregistered study was to evaluate the South Australian mobile phone ban's effects on students' problematic phone use, academic engagement, school belonging, and bullying. The study also sought to identify student variables that predict phone ban compliance. As the ban was phased in over 2023, a 2 (phone ban: yes/no) × 2 (time: baseline, 1-month follow-up) repeated-measures design was employed. Students (n = 1,282 at baseline; n = 1,256 at follow-up) in Grades 7 to 12 were recruited from five public secondary schools. Surveys included measures drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Problematic phone use was reported by 2.6% of the sample. Being older and a more frequent user of social media predicted lower phone ban compliance. Linear mixed models indicated that ban and no ban school groups did not differ significantly in terms of problematic phone use, academic engagement, and school belonging. There was slightly higher bullying in the ban group but bullying decreased significantly in both groups. Imposing access restrictions may not affect the underlying psychological mechanisms that drive problematic phone use. Although these results indicate limited to no short-term benefits of the ban, further evaluation with more sensitive methodologies is recommended. Student-technology interactions in learning institutions should be continually monitored to determine the optimal balance to support student etiquette, learning, and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their study, Stavropoulos et al. (2023) capitalized on supervised machine learning and a longitudinal design and reported that the User-Avatar Bond could be accurately employed to detect Gaming Disorder (GD) risk in a community sample of gamers. The authors suggested that the User-Avatar Bond is a "digital phenotype" that could be used as a diagnostic indicator for GD risk. In this commentary, our objectives are twofold: (1) to underscore the conceptual challenges of employing User-Avatar Bond for conceptualizing and diagnosing GD risk, and (2) to expound upon what we perceive as a misguided application of supervised machine learning techniques by the authors from a methodological standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming (C-DOG; Giardina et al., 2024) model, we proposed a continuum from compensatory to dissociative gaming involvement. This continuum represents different degrees of integration between physical and virtual environments with three core processes – Active Escapism, Escape, and Dissociation – and two peripheral processes – Gaming-Related Relaxation and Body-Mind Detachment. Here, we developed and tested a multidimensional measure based on this model. We capitalized on existing items for measuring escapism and dissociation and we generated new items consistent with the hypothesized model dimensions. A total of 54 items were administered to 1,176 online gamers playing different game genres, together with measures of problematic gaming, passion for gaming, and other psychological distress indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a six-factor, 36-item structure, with multiple hierarchical regression analyses highlighting unique associations with other psychological constructs assessed. The following factors were identified: (1) Emotional Displacement - redirection of negative emotion into the game with associated relaxation; (2) Absorption - detachment of the player from time and space while gaming; (3) Active Escapism - simulative use of the game to compensate for lack of self-confidence in reaching physical life objectives; (4) Virtual Withdrawal – maladaptive gaming to balance impaired social functioning, predicted by traumatic experiences and pervasive depression; (5) Dissociative Regulation - dysfunctional level of engagement associated with excessive anxiety; (6) Failure Escape - problematic avoidance via gaming related to fear of future failures. The C-DOG factors identify critical psychological processes associated with problematic gaming, with relevant research and clinical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University study is a period of psychological vulnerability for many individuals. International college students may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing distress and developing a mental illness due to challenges of relocation and acculturation. The aim of this meta-analytic review was to synthesize the literature on the mental health correlates and outcomes of domestic and international tertiary students. A total of 35 studies were identified via search PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Results showed that, among 283,412 participants, very small but non-significant effects were found between domestic and international students on anxiety: r = .04; depression: r = -.01; psychological distress: r = -.01; and wellbeing: r = -.01. Most studies were of relatively poor quality. Among high-quality studies, international students reported fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress than domestic students. On the other hand, domestic students declared higher wellbeing scores on quality-of-life measures. Despite these mixed findings, many students in the included studies reported poor mental health and wellbeing. Further research examining the mental health and wellbeing of domestic and international students is needed, with particular attention to the underlying needs and stressors that affect each subgroup to develop effective supports and countermeasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]