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Differential Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Addictive Disorders: a Comparison between Substance Use Disorders and Internet/Gaming Addiction

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Abstract

The present study investigated if adolescent substance use disorders (SUD) and internet/gaming addiction (IGA) exhibit shared associations with delinquency and childhood adversity. We examined data from 260 adolescents who presented at an addiction treatment center. Information on diagnosis, history of delinquency and childhood adversity were obtained based on retrospective chart review. Logistic regression was conducted to examine factors associated with SUD and IGA. Adolescents with older age of presentation, non-Chinese ethnicity, a history of delinquency or childhood adversity were more likely to have SUD; while adolescents with non-Chinese ethnicity or a history of delinquency were less likely to have IGA. Additionally, IGA was not associated with age of presentation, gender, or childhood adversity. Adolescent SUD and IGA have different associations with risk factors. IGA does not appear to belong with a cluster of adolescent problem behaviors. More research is needed to clarify diagnostic and etiologic conceptualizations.

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Acknowledgments

The Treatment Outcome Monitoring Program, from which this paper has derived its findings, is funded by the Ministry of Health, Singapore. The authors wish to thank all psychiatrists, counselors, and research administrators involved in the study.

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Correspondence to Song Guo.

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All procedures in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institute of Mental Health Institutional Review Board, the National Healthcare Group Domain Specific Review Board, and with the Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

Rebecca H. S. Ong, Chao Xu Peh and Song Guo declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Ong, R.H.S., Peh, C.X. & Guo, S. Differential Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Addictive Disorders: a Comparison between Substance Use Disorders and Internet/Gaming Addiction. Int J Ment Health Addiction 14, 993–1002 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-016-9676-0

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