Internet Use Disorders: Subjective Importance of Online Friends in the Context of Real-Life Social Support and Comorbid Mental Disorders.

IF 2.8 3区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

European Addiction Research Pub Date : 2023-01-01 DOI:10.1159/000529943

Hannah Schmidt, Gallus Bischof, Anja Bischof, Ulrich John, Christian Meyer, Florian Rehbein, Bettina Besser, Dominique Brandt, Svenja Orlowski, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf

{"title":"Internet Use Disorders: Subjective Importance of Online Friends in the Context of Real-Life Social Support and Comorbid Mental Disorders.","authors":"Hannah Schmidt, Gallus Bischof, Anja Bischof, Ulrich John, Christian Meyer, Florian Rehbein, Bettina Besser, Dominique Brandt, Svenja Orlowski, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf","doi":"10.1159/000529943","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Previous studies analyzing friendships with people only known through the Internet mainly focused on quantitative aspects (e.g., the number of online friends or the time spent with them). Little is known about the perceived quality of online compared to real-life friends in individuals with an Internet use disorder (IUD). This study aimed to analyze associations of the increased subjective importance of online friends and IUD by controlling for the perceived real-life social support and comorbid mental disorders.Methods: Based on a general population sample, 192 participants who were screened positive for risky Internet use took part in face-to-face clinical diagnostic interviews. IUD was assessed using the structure of the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) and the adapted criteria of Internet gaming disorder in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The number and the increased subjective importance of online compared to real-life friends were assessed with the Online and Real-Life Friends scale (ORLF), real-life social support was assessed with the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), and comorbidity was assessed with the M-CIDI. Data were analyzed with binary regression models.Results: Of 192 participants with risky Internet use, 39 participants (19 men; age M = 29.9, SD = 12.2) fulfilled the criteria of IUD in the last 12 months. IUD was not associated with the number or perceived social support of online friends per se. In multivariate analyses, IUD was associated with increased subjective importance of online friends, independently from comorbid anxiety or mood disorders. However, when controlling for real-life social support, associations of IUD and increased subjective importance of online friends were no longer present.Conclusion: These findings highlight the necessity of therapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening social skills and engaging in real-life relationships in the prevention and therapy of IUD. Due to the small sample size and the cross-sectional analysis, however, further research is needed.","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":"29 3","pages":"222-230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Addiction Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000529943","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies analyzing friendships with people only known through the Internet mainly focused on quantitative aspects (e.g., the number of online friends or the time spent with them). Little is known about the perceived quality of online compared to real-life friends in individuals with an Internet use disorder (IUD). This study aimed to analyze associations of the increased subjective importance of online friends and IUD by controlling for the perceived real-life social support and comorbid mental disorders.

Methods: Based on a general population sample, 192 participants who were screened positive for risky Internet use took part in face-to-face clinical diagnostic interviews. IUD was assessed using the structure of the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) and the adapted criteria of Internet gaming disorder in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The number and the increased subjective importance of online compared to real-life friends were assessed with the Online and Real-Life Friends scale (ORLF), real-life social support was assessed with the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), and comorbidity was assessed with the M-CIDI. Data were analyzed with binary regression models.

Results: Of 192 participants with risky Internet use, 39 participants (19 men; age M = 29.9, SD = 12.2) fulfilled the criteria of IUD in the last 12 months. IUD was not associated with the number or perceived social support of online friends per se. In multivariate analyses, IUD was associated with increased subjective importance of online friends, independently from comorbid anxiety or mood disorders. However, when controlling for real-life social support, associations of IUD and increased subjective importance of online friends were no longer present.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the necessity of therapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening social skills and engaging in real-life relationships in the prevention and therapy of IUD. Due to the small sample size and the cross-sectional analysis, however, further research is needed.

查看原文本刊更多论文

网络使用障碍:现实社会支持和共病精神障碍背景下网络朋友的主观重要性。

导读:以往的研究分析只通过互联网认识的人的友谊主要集中在定量方面(例如，在线朋友的数量或与他们在一起的时间)。对于患有互联网使用障碍(IUD)的人来说，与现实生活中的朋友相比，他们对网络朋友的感知质量知之甚少。本研究旨在通过控制感知到的现实生活中的社会支持和共病精神障碍，分析在线朋友与宫内节育器主观重要性增加的关系。方法:以普通人群为样本，对192名高风险互联网使用筛查阳性的参与者进行面对面的临床诊断访谈。宫内节育器的评估采用慕尼黑复合国际诊断访谈(M-CIDI)的结构和《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》(DSM-5)第5版中网络游戏障碍的改编标准。使用在线和现实生活朋友量表(ORLF)评估在线和现实生活朋友的数量和增加的主观重要性，使用柏林社会支持量表(BSSS)评估现实生活中的社会支持，并使用M-CIDI评估共病。采用二元回归模型对数据进行分析。结果:192名高风险上网者中，39名(男性19名;年龄M = 29.9, SD = 12.2)在最近12个月内符合宫内节育器标准。宫内节育器本身与在线朋友的数量或感知到的社会支持无关。在多变量分析中，宫内节育器与在线朋友的主观重要性增加有关，独立于合并症焦虑或情绪障碍。然而，当控制现实生活中的社会支持时，宫内节育器和在线朋友的主观重要性增加的关联不再存在。结论:这些发现强调了在预防和治疗宫内节育器中，加强社会技能和参与现实生活关系的治疗干预的必要性。然而，由于样本量小，且采用的是横断面分析，因此还需要进一步的研究。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

European Addiction Research SUBSTANCE ABUSE-PSYCHIATRY

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

5.10%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： ''European Addiction Research'' is a unique international scientific journal for the rapid publication of innovative research covering all aspects of addiction and related disorders. Representing an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of recent data and expert opinion, it reflects the importance of a comprehensive approach to resolve the problems of substance abuse and addiction in Europe. Coverage ranges from clinical and research advances in the fields of psychiatry, biology, pharmacology and epidemiology to social, and legal implications of policy decisions. The goal is to facilitate open discussion among those interested in the scientific and clinical aspects of prevention, diagnosis and therapy as well as dealing with legal issues. An excellent range of original papers makes ‘European Addiction Research’ the forum of choice for all.