Konstantinos Siomos

Internet addiction among Greek adolescent students.

This research aimed to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction among Greek adolescent students, ages 12 to 18. The sample of 2,200 students was recruited from 120 classes among 85 schools in Thessaly, Greece. The sample included 10% of all classes in schools of Thessaly. The method of randomized stratified selection in every school was used for its constitution. Participants were asked to complete the Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ), based on eight criteria, as well as an inventory that included sociodemographic factors and questions about the use of Internet, their social life, and their habits. In Greece, 70.8% of adolescents had access to the Internet. The consistency of the YDQ was tested with Cronbachs alpha (0.719), with standardized item alpha (0.728). Proportions are also calculated only on the frequent Internet users, which results in 11% fulfilling five YDQ criteria. The most frequent type of Internet use is online games, representing 50.9% of Internet users, and information services, representing 46.8%. The prevalence of Internet addiction among Internet users of Central Greece is 8.2%, and it concerns mainly the male students who play online games and visit Internet cafés.

The relationship between optimal parenting, Internet addiction and motives for social networking in adolescence.

This paper presents a cross-sectional study of a large, high-school Greek student sample (N=1971) with the aim to examine adolescent motives for participating in social networking (SN) for a possible link with parenting style and cognitions related to Internet addiction disorder (IAD). Exploratory statistics demonstrate a shift from the prominence of online gaming to social networking for this age group. A regression model provides with the best linear combination of independent variables useful in predicting participation in SN. Results also include a validated model of negative correlation between optimal parenting on the one hand and motives for SN participation and IAD on the other. Examining cognitions linked to SN may assist in a better understanding of underlying adolescent wishes and problems. Future research may focus in the patterns unveiled among those adolescents turning to SN for the gratification of basic unmet psychological needs. The debate on the exact nature of IAD would benefit from the inclusion of SN as a possible online activity where addictive phenomena may occur.

Internet addiction as an important predictor in early detection of adolescent drug use experience-implications for research and practice.

We present results from a cross-sectional study of the entire adolescent student population aged 14 to 18 years of the island of Kos, on the correlates between personality, illicit chemical substance use, and Internet abuse. Results demonstrate that adolescents who have used illicit substances and are abusing the Internet as well appear to share some common personality characteristics, namely those that are classified under the label of “psychoticism” in the Eysencks personality model. An increase in the severity of pathological Internet use has been linked to increased chances of having used an illicit substance. Taking into account any common personality attributes, Internet addiction can still be useful as a predictor variable for substance use experiences. Future research should attempt to verify any biological common factors between chemical substances use and Internet abuse. Targeting the adolescent population that engages in increased Internet use may be of benefit for drug abuse prevention programs.

Adolescent Online Cyberbullying in Greece: The Impact of Parental Online Security Practices, Bonding, and Online Impulsiveness.

BACKGROUND The introduction of new technological media worldwide has had a number of unfortunate side effects for some adolescents, including cases of bullying others through the new media (cyberbullying) and over-involvement to the point of addiction. We examine the epidemiology of cyberbullying in a Greek setting, compare it with earlier data, determine the impact of any related psychosocial factors, and propose measures to combat the phenomenon. METHODS A cross-sectional study of the entire adolescent high-school student population of the island of Kos examined the relationship between their experiences of Internet cyberbullying and respective parental characteristics, including aspects of psychological bonding and online security measures. The sample consisted of 2017 students (51.8% boys, 48.2% girls). Comparisons are made with results obtained from an earlier survey in the same setting, 2 years earlier. RESULTS There was a significant rise in reported experiences of Internet cyberbullying over the 2-year period. Security practices exercised by parents had a protective role with regards to whether a child had been cyberbullied, yet failed to prevent the perpetration of online victimization. A regression model indicated that impulsive use of the Internet and related online activities were predictive of whether an adolescent victimized others online. CONCLUSION Cyberbullying frequency with regards to both victims and victimizers was high and associated with online impulsiveness, pointing to the possible existence of some commonalities. Further research is necessary to ascertain common underlying psychological factors and neurobiology.

Adolescent Online Gambling: The Impact of Parental Practices and Correlates with Online Activities

We present results from a cross-sectional study of the entire adolescent student population aged 12–19 of the island of Kos and their parents, on the relationship between their Internet gambling and respective parental practices, including aspects of psychological bonding and online security measures. The sample consisted of 2,017 students (51.8% boys, 48.2% girls). Our results indicate that gender, parenting practices as perceived by the adolescents and distinct patterns of adolescent Internet activities are among the best predictor variables for Internet gambling. Security practices exercised by the parents failed to make an impact on the extent of Internet gambling, demonstrating the need for specific measures to tackle this phenomenon since the provision of simple education on the dangers of the Internet is not sufficient to this regard.

Comorbidity of psychiatric disorders with Internet addiction in a clinical sample: the effect of personality, defense style and psychopathology.

This study aims to contribute to the understanding of underlying causes for the development of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) and assess comorbidity with other mental disorders through the analysis of data from a clinical sample of college students who presented for treatment of IAD. The clinical sample of our study has demonstrated a high percentage of comorbidity with Axis I and II disorders, while the temporal precedence of the establishment of those disorders cannot lead to specific conclusions. Half of the sample (25/50) presented with comorbidity of another Axis I disorder and 38% (19/50) with a concurrent Axis II personality disorder. The majority of Axis I disorders (51.85%) were reported before the onset of IAD, 33.3% after the onset while it was unclear in 14.81% of cases. The examination of a path model demonstrated that important contributions to the understanding of this disorder can be made through concepts from the neurobiological, trait personality paradigm, as well as from the psychodynamic defense style paradigm. Comorbid psychopathology can further exacerbate the presentation of IAD through a direct link, regardless of the underlying personality structure. The clinician treating IAD patients should complete a clinical evaluation for comorbid Axis I and II diagnoses since their presence may signify a more serious presentation.

Excessive Internet Use and Personality Traits

Cases of excessive use of the Internet have been reported for some time, with numerous claimed adverse effects to the well-being of the subject. Objective signs and subjective symptoms are similar to those of addictive behavior, leading to the classification of those cases as incidences of an addiction disorder. Research results from this new field of study have led to the recent provisional introduction of a subset of those cases, those concerning online gaming, in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5) under the heading ‘Internet Gaming Disorder’. This review article critically examines research conducted on the personality attributes of those Internet users who demonstrate signs and symptoms of excessive use. The results lend credit to the notion of including a disorder in psychiatric taxonomies yet do not cover all possible fields of research, rather focusing on trait personality psychology. Directions are offered for future research.

Psychosocial Correlates of Insomnia in an Adolescent Population.

This study examines the nature of the relationship between psychosocial factors and insomnia complaints in an adolescent non-clinical population. It is a cross-sectional study of a stratified sample of 2,195 Greek adolescent high-school students. Subjects were given the Athens insomnia scale, the Symptom Checklist scale (SCL-90-R) and a questionnaire concerning demographic characteristics. None of the subjects had received help for insomnia complaints or other overt psychopathology. Adolescents classified as suffering from insomnia presented higher levels of general psychopathology. Age, tobacco and alcohol use, self-reported patterns of communication in the family, perceived economic status and school performance were identified as correlates of the insomnia complaints. A significant number of adolescents fail to receive appropriate treatment for insomnia. Psychosocial correlates are important factors to consider when faced with insomnia complaints in this age group. More research is needed in important timelines in the developmental history of a young adult.

The Relationship Between Personality, Defense Styles, Internet Addiction Disorder, and Psychopathology in College Students

The purpose of this study is to assess any underlying links between personality, defense styles, Internet addiction disorder (IAD), and psychopathology in a college student sample. This is a cross-sectional study of fourth-year Greek Medical students who responded in a comprehensive test battery, which included validated questionnaires on IAD, personality traits, patterns of psychological defense styles, and psychopathology symptoms. A path model that was tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS) methodology showed that the defense styles employed by the students and certain personality traits (Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking, Neuroticism/Anxiety, and Aggression-Hostility) contributed to the prediction of variability in IAD, with IAD in turn predicting variability in overt psychopathology.

The relationship of parental bonding to depression in patients with chronic pain

Abstract Attachment theory is a theory of normal development as well as a theory of psychopathology. Attachment theory and research suggests that different types of parental bonding can be important determinants of illness behaviour, depression, pain perception and treatment response in individuals with chronic pain. Different types of parental bonding have been shown to be associated with specific personality characteristics and a variety of psychiatric disorders. We assessed 65 patients with chronic pain who visited the pain management unit of Larissa University Hospital in Greece. All patients completed the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain. Results demonstrated that patients who reported an affectionless bonding (overprotective and insensitive) with their parents, and especially their mother, reported significantly greater depression and higher VAS scores. Conversely, chronic pain patients with an optimal parental bonding reported lower depression and VAS scores. These findings suggest that parental bonding style could be a useful construct for examining factors affecting psychiatric disorders and pain perception in patients with chronic pain.