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Tetiana Zinchenko
International Association for the Study of Game Addictions (IASGA), Collombey, Switzerland
Keynote: J Psychiatry & Mental Health Research
Depression is one of the most common concomitant psychological illnesses associated with gambling addiction and internet gaming illness. It's diagnosed in 23.1 – 41.3% of cases with GD. The conducted meta-analysis and reviews of internet addiction studies, which included IGD and SNS addiction, reveal a high degree of correlation with depression in 75-89% of studies. In cases with GD, there's a high suicide threat 25.6 – 40.21%, in 81.4% there are suicidal thoughts, which in 29.6 - 49.2% of cases having a permanent, obsessive nature, 6.9 – 30.2% commit suicide attempts. Suicide is the main cause of death (31%) in this order of patients. High suicidal threat (thoughts, attempts) is found by investigators in different countries in IGD, with both problematic and pathological users. The analysis of clinical and neurobiological studies, as well as their own clinical cases, reveals that emotional deregulation, constant emotional torture, experienced altered states of knowledge with a violation of self-identification during the game and with problematic use of social networks, as well as adding negative social consequences, are predisposing threat factors for the development of depression in these behavioral dependences. As for the time sequence, numerous longitudinal studies have found a bidirectional relationship between depression and the severity of addiction symptoms. More than half of the patients had clinically significant symptoms of depression after the launch of the game and the conformation of a particular behavioral dependence. Grounded on all the results attained, we can conclude that dependent players and users of social networks can come both initially mentally healthy people, and those who have formerly endured subclinical and clinical manifestations of depression. In the first case, the depression was added in the process of exacerbating the symptoms of addiction, and in the alternate, the depressive symptoms increased and worsened. But when healthy life exertion was restored, the severity of symptoms of depression also dropped. This study also shows that information games and network technologies are the main threat factor for the development of both addiction and comorbid psychopathology, up to suicidal behavior.
Tetiana Zinchenko, the President of the International Association for the Study of Game Addictions (IASGA)/Switzerland, PhD, Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Rehabilitologist, practicing doctor in private practice. She is a practicing clinician with twenty years of experience in the field of mental health. Of these, 5 years in the field of forensic psychiatry in specialized Psychiatric clinics, 15 years in the field of Psychological counseling and Psychotherapy of Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Suicidal Behavior. Ten years in the field of Neuro Rehabilitation. Over the past five years, she has been specializing in group, family and individual Psychotherapy and Rehabilitation of people with various Behavioral Addictions. Currently works as a Psychotherapist in private practice and public organizations. Her main research interests are the study of the influence of information technologies on consciousness, the brain and the development of human personality, as well as the study of Ontology, the nature and functioning of human consciousness.
