Behavioral addictions such as gambling and gaming disorders, compulsive sexual activity, problematic shopping and buying, and problematic use of social media deserve more clinical and public health attention, according to a new review published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The rise of the Internet and availability of smartphones to young people have fueled these addictions, which have been linked to poorer treatment outcomes for people with psychiatric concerns, according to researchers.
“The Internet has changed the ways in which most people engage in daily and recreational activities, with a subset of people developing problems and continuing with engagement in the behaviors despite adverse consequences,” said Marc Potenza, PhD, MD, Steven M. Southwick Professor of Psychiatry and professor in the Child Study Center and of neuroscience, and the paper’s senior author.
“In the setting of the legalization of online sports gambling, an increase in calls to helplines for problem gambling has been observed,” Potenza said. “With most teenagers having access to smartphones, close to half report being online almost constantly, with links to mental health concerns having been identified.”
Potenza and his co-authors summarized current knowledge regarding the five disorders – problematic gambling, gaming, sexual activity, shopping, and social media use – and recommended further investigation of the impact of modern technology on people. Technically, only gambling disorder is formally recognized as a clinical disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, although gaming and compulsive sexual behavior disorders have been recognized as specific clinical disorders by the World Health Organization.
The authors write that many people who suffer from Internet-related disorders have co-occurring concerns related to anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, among other conditions. These people should receive access to treatment, including pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and neuromodulation, they write.
Potenza said the U.S. Surgeon General has released an advisory regarding social media and youth mental health concerns and has promoted placing product warning labels on social media platforms like ones that currently exist for tobacco and alcohol products.
The authors did not receive direct funding for their research.