INTERNET ADDICTION AND GAMING DISORDER AND THIER PSYCHIATRIC CORRELATES IN A SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENT PATIENTS

Abstract

The internet has become an integral part of adolescents’ lives; they are recognized as the primary users of digital technology both at home and within educational settings.Adolescence is a critical developmental stage, during this phase adolescents are acquiring critical thinking skills, developing personal boundaries, and asserting a growing need for autonomy. These render them susceptible to the overuse of digital technologies.Although the internet is a valuable educational and communicative resource, its misuse poses risks to adolescent mental health, especially in the absence of protective social structures.Internet Addiction (IA) has emerged as a pressing public health issue,often termed in the literature as problematic internet use, or pathological internet use.Similarly, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), a subtype of behavioral addiction.The management of IA and IGD remains a clinical challenge. Early detectionparticularly among adolescentsis essential to prevent long-term psychological impairment and to address potential psychiatric comorbidities. Aim:Theaim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of internet addiction and internet gaming disorder among adolescentpatients attending psychiatric outpatient clinic and to identify the correlation between internet addiction and various psychiatric comorbidities and associated risk factors.