Investigation of autism spectrum disorder symptoms and anxiety and depression levels in adolescents with internet addiction and their parents

Damla Balkan, Investigation of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Anxiety and Depression Levels in Adolescents with Internet Addiction and Their Parents, Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases, Thesis of Medical Specialty, Mugla, Turkey, 2020. Internet addiction is an increasingly common behavioral addiction that leads to impaired functionality in individuals and that has high psychiatric comorbidity. Among the psychopathologies accompanying internet addiction are attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. Considering the broad autism phenotype, our study aimed to evaluate autism spectrum disorder symptoms and anxiety and depression levels in children with internet addiction and their parents. The study included 32 subjects aged between 12-17 years who were determined to have internet addiction through clinical interviews but did not have any additional psychiatric illness, and their parents. The control group was made up of 32 age and gender matched adolescents who did not have any chronic physical or psychiatric illnesses, and their parents. A sociodemographic data collection form was given to all subjects and their parents. All participating adolescents were asked to fill out Young's Internet Addiction Test, Children's Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and their parents, Beck's Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and the Social Communication Questionnaire. The Social Communication Questionnaire, Children's Depression Inventory, and Child Trait Anxiety Inventory scores were higher in the patient group compared to the control group, and increasing scores increased the likelihood of internet addiction. There was a positive correlation between the Social Communication Questionnaire and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient scores. We conclude that autism, anxiety and depression scale scores were higher in adolescents with internet addiction, and that increased these scores increased the likelihood of internet addiction. There was a positive correlation between the autism scores of adolescents and the autism scores of their parents. Keywords: anxiety, depression, internet addiction, autism spectrum disorder