Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use
In the present study, we investigated gender differences in personality and psychiatric correlates among adults (N = 115) seeking treatment for problematic internet use (PIU) at a specialized clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. All participants were assessed at the beginning of their treatment for co-occur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1022749/full |
| _version_ | 1811197281827815424 |
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| author | Rodrigo Menezes Machado Hyoun S. Kim Vinicius Oliveira de Andrade Lindsey A. Snaychuk Carla Cavalheiro Moura Cornelia Belliero Martini Cristiano Ricardo Faedo Nabuco de Abreu David C. Hodgins Hermano Tavares |
| author_facet | Rodrigo Menezes Machado Hyoun S. Kim Vinicius Oliveira de Andrade Lindsey A. Snaychuk Carla Cavalheiro Moura Cornelia Belliero Martini Cristiano Ricardo Faedo Nabuco de Abreu David C. Hodgins Hermano Tavares |
| author_sort | Rodrigo Menezes Machado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the present study, we investigated gender differences in personality and psychiatric correlates among adults (N = 115) seeking treatment for problematic internet use (PIU) at a specialized clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. All participants were assessed at the beginning of their treatment for co-occurring psychiatric conditions, other addictive behaviors, and personality characteristics. Women (n = 20) were more likely to present with greater rates of psychiatric comorbidity compared to men (n = 95), including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bulimia nervosa. Women also had a greater severity of certain behavioral addictions, such as compulsive buying and disordered eating. Gender differences were also found across personality characteristics, with women scoring higher on impulsivity, novelty seeking, and self-transcendence compared to men. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate gender differences for PIU in a clinical sample. The results suggest that there are notable gender differences in individuals seeking treatment for PIU which underscores the importance of assessing for co-occurring conditions, especially in women. Understanding the characteristics associated with PIU can help serve to inform the most appropriate interventions to bolster treatment outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:11:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cce521ca354e446f932b36a408108cff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:11:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-cce521ca354e446f932b36a408108cff2022-12-22T03:54:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-10-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.10227491022749Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet useRodrigo Menezes Machado0Hyoun S. Kim1Vinicius Oliveira de Andrade2Lindsey A. Snaychuk3Carla Cavalheiro Moura4Cornelia Belliero Martini5Cristiano Ricardo Faedo Nabuco de Abreu6David C. Hodgins7Hermano Tavares8Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilDepartment of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilDepartment of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFaculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFaculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilIn the present study, we investigated gender differences in personality and psychiatric correlates among adults (N = 115) seeking treatment for problematic internet use (PIU) at a specialized clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. All participants were assessed at the beginning of their treatment for co-occurring psychiatric conditions, other addictive behaviors, and personality characteristics. Women (n = 20) were more likely to present with greater rates of psychiatric comorbidity compared to men (n = 95), including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bulimia nervosa. Women also had a greater severity of certain behavioral addictions, such as compulsive buying and disordered eating. Gender differences were also found across personality characteristics, with women scoring higher on impulsivity, novelty seeking, and self-transcendence compared to men. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate gender differences for PIU in a clinical sample. The results suggest that there are notable gender differences in individuals seeking treatment for PIU which underscores the importance of assessing for co-occurring conditions, especially in women. Understanding the characteristics associated with PIU can help serve to inform the most appropriate interventions to bolster treatment outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1022749/fullproblematic internet useinternet addictionbehavioral addictionsgender differencespsychiatric comorbidity |
| spellingShingle | Rodrigo Menezes Machado Hyoun S. Kim Vinicius Oliveira de Andrade Lindsey A. Snaychuk Carla Cavalheiro Moura Cornelia Belliero Martini Cristiano Ricardo Faedo Nabuco de Abreu David C. Hodgins Hermano Tavares Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use Frontiers in Psychiatry problematic internet use internet addiction behavioral addictions gender differences psychiatric comorbidity |
| title | Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| title_full | Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| title_fullStr | Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| title_short | Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| title_sort | gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and personality characteristics among adults seeking treatment for problematic internet use |
| topic | problematic internet use internet addiction behavioral addictions gender differences psychiatric comorbidity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1022749/full |
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