Evaluation of social media addiction and gaming disorder in adolescents and youths with substance use

In our study we evaluated, social media addiction, digital gaming disorder and loneliness in adolescents and youths who applied to Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Hospital AMATEM and / or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic due to substance use. 93 patients were admitted to the study who received an outpatient or inpatient treatment for substance use, aged between 15-24. As a control group; 91 healthy volunteers who were educating in neighboring schools and working in small businesses, who did not have a history of substance use at any time in their life, and had similar characteristics with the patient group in terms of age and gender were taken. Sociodemographic Data Form, Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents Short Form, The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-9-Item Short Form and UCLA Loneliness Scale were applied to both two groups. In addition, Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended was applied to the patient group. In our study, no significant difference was found in the patient and control groups in terms of mean ages, gender, mother and father ages. The body mass index (BMI) average of the patient group was statistically significantly lower than the control group. The level of education, school attendance, and course success were statistically significantly lower in the patient group compared to the controls. Although there is no statistical difference in both groups in terms of the educational status and work of the mother; It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of father's educational status and job, and the number of fathers who had university education was lower in the patient group compared to the control group. Family income level was found to be lower in the patient group compared to the control group. The number of families whose families were separated or divided was statistically significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. Smoking rate was found to be statistically significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group. IOOB scale scores of adolescents and adolescents with substance abuse were significantly low; loneliness scale scores were significantly higher than the control group. When we look at the correlation of scale scores of drug addicted adolescents and young people, a positive correlation was found between social media addiction scale scores and DUDIT-E positive and negative subscales scores. However, a negative correlation was found between DUDIT-E treatment motivation subscale score and loneliness. According to our studies results, supporting the interest of adolescents and youth with substance use disorders for digital games in a controlled way may lead to decrease in the young people's desire to use drugs thereby this may increase their treatment compliance. Also, since substance abuse is closely related to loneliness, psychosocial interventions for loneliness in adolescents can be protective against substance abuse. In addition, taking measures to protect family integrity in the social context can be considered as a indirect prevention in the fight against.addiction.