Associations Among Internet Addiction, Genetic Polymorphisms, Family Functioning, and Psychopathological Risk: Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

Abstract

Background International research has emphasized that youths are at higher risk for the onset of internet addiction (IA), but studies investigating biological, psychological, and social factors associated with this condition are limited. Objective This study aims to investigate the possible association between IA and genetic polymorphisms in monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), serotonin-transporter (5-HTTPR), dopamine receptor (DRD4), and dopamine transporter (DAT1) genes by considering the role played by the perception of young adults in their family functioning and their depression, anxiety, and avoidant personality problems. Methods In a sample of 104 male and female young adults aged between 19 and 23 years (mean age 21.87, SD 2.29 years) recruited from universities in the central southern part of Italy, we addressed the presence of IA using the Young criteria of the IA test. Moreover, the perception of young adults of their family functioning and their psychopathological symptoms were assessed through the Family Assessment Device (FAD) and the Adult Self-Report, respectively. Results We found no significant association between IA and any genetic polymorphisms, neither among males or females. Young adults with IA reported significantly higher scores in the subscale of FAD affective responsiveness (AR; P=.01) and in depressive problems (P=.02), anxiety problems (P=.009), and avoidant personality problems (P=.003) than those in the control group. Results of mediation analyses showed a mediation role played by depressive symptoms (B=0.99; 95% CI 0.22 to 1.97) and avoidant personality problems (B=1.09; 95% CI 0.32 to 2.05) of young adults on the relationship between the FAD, AR, and IA. Finally, this relationship was moderated by the genotype of the 5-HTTLPR (P<.001), DAT1 (P<.001), and MAO-A (P<.001) genes in young adults. Conclusions This exploratory study supports the recent evidence on the mutual relationship among biological, individual, and social risk factors associated with IA in young adulthood. Our findings may have important clinical implications for the development of prevention and treatment programs.

Late Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia

“…Overall, these findings supported the evidence that, during late adolescence/young adulthood, individuals become greater independent and autonomous from their parents and more oriented on the development of personal identity and relationships with their peers [13,125]. Although the relationship with parents continues to assume a crucial support role [126][127][128]-as our findings have also shown-attachment to peers become their essential secure base and source of emotional support [129][130][131]. Consequently, in line with our findings, during this developmental stage, insecure attachment to peers represents the strongest predictor for psychopathological problems, compared to insecure attachment to parents [132,133].…”

How Does Psychological Distress Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Internet Addiction and Instagram Addiction in Emerging Adults?

“…Finally, the emerging adults’ family context was not considered. In fact, several studies have highlighted the psychological impact of the family on the origin of the youths’ mental health [ 105 , 113 , 117 , 151 , 152 ].…”

Motor Vehicle Collisions during Adolescence: The Role of Alexithymic Traits and Defense Strategies

“…In this field, according to Manciaux [ 124 ], self-punitive action is not deliberate in road accidents, but it would be considered as a distinct form of the dynamics of Acting Out: a dramatization in the external world of internal conflicts where psychic pain is replaced by a concrete and recognizable physical pain [ 109 , 110 , 111 ]. Other authors [ 125 , 126 ] have also highlighted the link between the incident and the need to increase the feeling of omnipotence; thus, in many cases, the recurrence of MVCs would express the adolescent’s attempt to deny their mortality and feel a sense of their invulnerability [ 66 ]. This dynamic has been suggested to be at the basis of a particular type of risk-taking behavior, defined by Marcelli [ 126 ] as ‘hordalic’, in which the escaped danger and the adrenalin rush would reinforce the feeling of omnipotence, even if fleetingly.…”

“…Other authors [ 125 , 126 ] have also highlighted the link between the incident and the need to increase the feeling of omnipotence; thus, in many cases, the recurrence of MVCs would express the adolescent’s attempt to deny their mortality and feel a sense of their invulnerability [ 66 ]. This dynamic has been suggested to be at the basis of a particular type of risk-taking behavior, defined by Marcelli [ 126 ] as ‘hordalic’, in which the escaped danger and the adrenalin rush would reinforce the feeling of omnipotence, even if fleetingly. However, the state of euphoria produced is only ephemeral and, like a drug, tends to induce addiction and trigger escalation towards increasingly extreme and risky behavior.…”