OBJECTIVE Computer and gaming-station use has become entrenched in the culture of our youth. Parents of children with psychiatric disorders report concerns about overuse, but research in this area is limited. The goal of this study is to evaluate computer/gaming-station use in adolescents in a psychiatric clinic population and to examine the relationship between use and functional impairment. METHOD 102 adolescents, ages 11-17, from out-patient psychiatric clinics participated. Amount of computer/gaming-station use, type of use (gaming or non-gaming), and presence of addictive features were ascertained along with emotional/functional impairment. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine correlations between patterns of use and impairment. RESULTS Mean screen time was 6.7±4.2 hrs/day. Presence of addictive features was positively correlated with emotional/functional impairment. Time spent on computer/gaming-station use was not correlated overall with impairment after controlling for addictive features, but non-gaming time was positively correlated with risky behavior in boys. CONCLUSIONS Youth with psychiatric disorders are spending much of their leisure time on the computer/gaming-station and a substantial subset show addictive features of use which is associated with impairment. Further research to develop measures and to evaluate risk is needed to identify the impact of this problem.

Abstract Although numerous benefits have been uncovered related to moderate video game play, research suggests that problematic video game playing behaviors can cause problems in the lives of some video game players. To further our understanding of this phenomenon, we investigated how problematic video game playing symptoms are related to an assortment of variables, including time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Additionally, we tested several simple mediation/moderation models to better explain previous theories that posit simple correlations between these variables. As expected, the results from the present study indicated that time management skills appeared to mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problematic play endorsement (though only for men). Unexpectedly, we found that ADHD symptoms appeared to mediate the relation between time management skills and problematic play behaviors; however, this was only found for women in our sample. Finally, future implications are discussed.

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OBJECTIVE The main aim of the present study is to investigate the short-term cognitive effects of computer games in children with different psychiatric disorders and normal controls. METHOD One hundred one children are recruited for the study (aged between 9 and 12 years). All participants played a motor-racing game on the computer for 1 hour. The TBAG form of the Stroop task was administered to all participants twice, before playing and immediately after playing the game. RESULTS Participants with improved posttest scores, compared to their pretest scores, used the computer on average 0.67 +/- 1.1 hr/day, while the average administered was measured at 1.6 +/- 1.4 hr/day and 1.3 +/- 0.9 hr/day computer use for participants with worse or unaltered scores, respectively. According to the regression model, male gender, younger ages, duration of daily computer use, and ADHD inattention type were found to be independent risk factors for worsened posttest scores. CONCLUSION Time spent playing computer games can exert a short-term effect on attention as measured by the Stroop test.

In non-substance-related addiction, the so-called behavioural addiction, no external psychotropic substances are consumed. The psychotropic effect consists of the body's own biochemical processes induced only by excessive activities. Until recently, knowledge was limited with respect to clinically relevant excessive reward-seeking behaviour, such as pathological gambling, excessive shopping and working which meet diagnostic criteria of dependent behaviour. To date, there is no consistent concept for diagnosis and treatment of excessive reward-seeking behaviour, and its classification is uncertain. Therefore, a clear conceptualization of the so-called behavioural addictions is of great importance. The use of adequate diagnostic instruments is necessary for successful therapeutical implications.This article provides an overview of the current popular diagnostic instruments assessing the different forms of behavioural addiction. Especially in certain areas there are only few valid and reliable instruments available to assess excessive rewarding behaviours that fulfill the criteria of addiction.

The aim of this study was to investigate Internet use habits and problematic Internet use (PIU) in Turkish adolescents. Participants were 3,975 undergraduate students, 7.6% of whom used the Internet for more than 12 hours weekly. The Online Cognition Scale (OCS) was used. The most common purpose for using the Internet was playing games, followed by general information search. Female users mostly preferred searching for general information; male users preferred playing games (p < 0.001, gamma = 995.205). The most preferred type of game was violent games. While preference for strategy and fantasy role-play (FRP) games increased with age, preference for other games decreased (p < 0.0001, gamma = 283.767). Participants who used the Internet mostly for general information searches and school-related searches had lower OCS scores (p < 0.0001). The highest OCS scores were related to violent games, followed by FRP, strategy, and sports and motor racing games. Computers and the Internet are useful, important inventions, but like other inventions, if used improperly, they may be harmful. Risk of harm raises concerns about who should use the Internet and computers, and where, when, and why the Internet and computers should be used.

The internet is an integral tool for information, communication, and entertainment among adolescents. As adolescents devote increasing amounts of time to utilizing the internet, the risk for adopting excessive and pathological internet use is inherent. The study objectives include assessing the characteristics and predictors of excessive internet use and evaluating the prevalence of pathological internet use among Greek adolescents. A cross-sectional study design was applied to this effect. The study population (n = 897) consisted of a random sample of adolescents residing in Athens, Greece. Self-completed questionnaires, pertaining to internet access characteristics and Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) score, were applied in order to investigate the study objectives. The multivariate regression analysis indicated that the most significant predictors of overall internet use included accessing the internet via one's own home portal and for the purpose of social interaction. Internet access via the school environment was a significant deterrent among low (1-3 h/week) internet users, while access via internet cafés was a significant predictor for high (11-20 h/week) internet users. Moreover, accessing the internet for the purposes of game playing was the most significant predictor for excessive (>20 h/week) internet use. The prevalence of borderline internet use among the study population was 12.8%, while 1.00% reported addictive internet use. Also, 10.4% of male excessive internet users reported addictive internet use (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, excessive internet use is predicted solely by the location of internet access (own home portal) and the scope of internet use (i.e., sites relating to socialization and game playing) and may lead to internet addiction, particularly among male adolescents.

In recent research similarities between pathological gambling and drug addiction have been identified, suggesting excessive gambling to constitute an addiction. So far, we have insufficient knowledge concerning the psychophysiological mechanisms underlying this kind of non-substance-related addiction. The objective of the study was to investigate emotional processing of gambling-relevant and -irrelevant stimuli in pathological gamblers and non-gambling controls using an EEG cue-reactivity paradigm. Whereas gambling-irrelevant stimuli were processed similarly in non-gambling controls (HC) and pathological gamblers (PG), PG showed significantly stronger gambling-relevant stimulus-induced psychophysiological cue-reactivity (larger gambling stimulus-induced late positive potential, LPP, higher arousal and more positively toned valence ratings as well as higher stimulus-induced craving for gambling cues compared to HC--but not the expectable increase of general craving over time and after stimulus presentation). Our findings suggest enhanced cue-reactivity in pathological gamblers indicative of learned motivated attention that may induce subjective craving and relapse.

In non-substance-related addiction, the so-called behavioural addiction, no external psychotropic substances are consumed. The psychotropic effect consists of the body's own biochemical processes induced only by excessive activities. Until recently, knowledge was limited with respect to clinically relevant excessive reward-seeking behaviour, such as pathological gambling, excessive shopping and working which meet diagnostic criteria of dependent behaviour. To date, there is no consistent concept for diagnosis and treatment of excessive reward-seeking behaviour, and its classification is uncertain. Therefore, a clear conceptualization of the so-called behavioural addictions is of great importance. The use of adequate diagnostic instruments is necessary for successful therapeutical implications.This article provides an overview of the current popular diagnostic instruments assessing the different forms of behavioural addiction. Especially in certain areas there are only few valid and reliable instruments available to assess excessive rewarding behaviours that fulfill the criteria of addiction.

The present study investigated psychological aspects after different methods of withdrawal treatments in opiate addicts had been conducted. Two pharmacological strategies based on delivering an opioid agonist or antagonist were used for withdrawal in opiate addicts. After detoxification, the antagonist was delivered by a pellet implanted subcutaneously. Four days after the beginning of the treatment several psychological variables such as craving, anxiety, depression, and mood were assessed and compared with data from actively consuming opiate addicts and healthy controls. In addition, 6 and 12 weeks later the relapse rates were assessed. Compared with addicts detoxified and treated with Levomethadone as well as actively heroin consuming addicts, subjects treated with Naltrexone demonstrated significantly higher positive psychological outcome concerning all assessed variables and significantly lower relapse rates. Naltrexone implants prove prevention of relapse during the most vulnerable period after detoxification. Compared with Levomethadone withdrawal, they lead to a significantly better psychological condition in patients.

OBJECTIVE: Drug-dependent patients show increased negative mood states such as anxiety and depression that interact with drug craving and quality of life. In this study, we compared immigrants with and without drug dependence and assessed whether drug dependence and social status after immigration contributed independently to negative mood states, stress-coping strategies and satisfaction with life in Germany. METHOD: Immigrants (N = 80) who had emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Germany were participants in the study. Drug-dependent immigrants (24 men, 16 women, mean [SD] age 33 [9] years) were compared with healthy immigrants (26 men, 14 women, mean age 35 [12] years) on current emotional status, trait-anxiety, depression, stress-coping strategies, drug craving and immigration-associated data. RESULTS: Compared with healthy immigrants, drug-dependent immigrants showed significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and negative stress-coping strategies, independent of differences in education or employment status. Satisfaction with being in Germany was associated with both drug dependence and employment status. The severity of drug craving was significantly associated with negative mood states but not with any other measured sociodemographic variable. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that drug dependence is associated with increased negative mood states and poor stress-coping strategies, independent of the assessed sociodemographic variables. Drug dependence may thus severely interfere with acculturation in the host country. Because immigrants often face reduced treatment options as a result of cultural and language barriers, our findings underline the importance of adequate drug treatment facilities for dependent immigrants.

Compulsive buying is characterized by repetitive compulsive and excessive misappropriated buying. Labels for this pathological behavior vary and its classification is uncertain. To date, there is no consistent concept for diagnosis and treatment. We present the case of a 36-year old woman with a history of excessive pathological buying. According to the assumption that addiction is a learned behavior, we assume that for the patient compulsive buying as a rewarding behavior has the function of an inadequate stress coping strategy. Therefore, in this case the diagnosis "non-substance-related behavioral addiction" is appropriate. This diagnosis is important for the choice of the therapeutic intervention, which is in accordance to the current therapeutic interventions for substance-related addictions.

Cue modulation of the startle reflex is a paradigm that has been used to understand the emotional mechanisms involved in alcohol dependence. Attenuation of the startle reflex has been demonstrated when alcohol-dependent subjects are exposed to alcohol-related stimuli. However, the role of clinical variables on the magnitude of this response is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between a number of clinical variables-severity of alcoholism, family history of alcoholism (FHA+), personality traits related to the sensitivity to reward-and the startle reflex response when subjects with alcohol dependence were viewing alcohol-related cues. After detoxification, 98 participants completed self-report instruments and had eye blink electromyograms measured to acoustic startle probes [100-millisecond burst of white noise at 95 dB(A)] while viewing alcohol-related pictures, and standardised appetitive, aversive and neutral control scenes. Ninety-eight healthy controls were also assessed with the same instruments. There were significant differences on alcohol-startle magnitude between patients and controls. Comparisons by gender showed that women perceived alcohol cues and appetitive cues more appetitive than men. Male and female patients showed more appetitive responses to alcohol cues when compared with their respective controls. Our patients showed an appetitive effect of alcohol cues that was positively related to severity of alcohol dependence, sensitivity to reward and a FHA+. The data confirmed that the pattern of the modulation of the acoustic startle reflex reveals appetitive effects of the alcohol cues and extended it to a variety of clinical variables.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between media consumption habits, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and glycemic control in youths with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In the cross-sectional study, self-report questionnaires were used to assess media consumption habits, physical activity, and socioeconomic status in 296 children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes. Clinical data and HbA(1c) levels were collected. Risk factors were analyzed by multiple regression. RESULTS Youths with type 1 diabetes (aged 13.7 ± 4.1 years, HbA(1c) 8.7 ± 1.6%, diabetes duration 6.1 ± 3.3 years) spent 2.9 ± 1.8 h per day watching television and using computers. Weekly physical activity was 5.1 ± 4.5 h. Multiple regression analysis identified diabetes duration, socioeconomic status, and daily media consumption time as significant risk factors for glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes duration, socioeconomic status, and daily media consumption time, but not physical activity, were significant risk factors for glycemic control in youths with type 1 diabetes.

With no further intervention, relapse rates in detoxified alcoholics are high and usually exceed 80% of all detoxified patients. It has been suggested that stress and exposure to priming doses of alcohol and to alcohol-associated stimuli (cues) contribute to the relapse risk after detoxification. This article focuses on neuronal correlates of cue responses in detoxified alcoholics. Current brain imaging studies indicate that dysfunction of dopaminergic, glutamatergic and opioidergic neurotransmission in the brain reward system (ventral striatum including the nucleus accumbens) can be associated with alcohol craving and functional brain activation in neuronal systems that process attentional relevant stimuli, reward expectancy and experience. Increased functional brain activation elicited by such alcohol-associated cues predicted an increased relapse risk, whereas high brain activity elicited by affectively positive stimuli may represent a protective factor and was correlated with a decreased prospective relapse risk. These findings are discussed with respect to psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment options.

Due to learning processes originally neutral stimuli become drug-associated and can activate an implicit drug memory, which leads to a conditioned arousing 'drug-seeking' state. This condition is accompanied by specific psychophysiological responses. The goal of the present study was the analysis of changes in cortical and peripheral reactivity to cannabis as well as alcohol-associated pictures compared with emotionally significant drug-unrelated and neutral pictures in long-term heavy cannabis users. Participants were 15 chronic heavy cannabis users and 15 healthy controls. Verbal reports as well as event-related potentials of the electroencephalogram and skin conductance responses were assessed in a cue-reactivity paradigm to determine the psychophysiological effects caused by drug-related visual stimulus material. The evaluation of self-reported craving and emotional processing showed that cannabis stimuli were perceived as more arousing and pleasant and elicited significantly more cannabis craving in cannabis users than in healthy controls. Cannabis users also demonstrated higher cannabis stimulus-induced arousal, as indicated by significantly increased skin conductance and a larger late positivity of the visual event-related brain potential. These findings support the assumption that drug-associated stimuli acquire increased incentive salience in addiction history and induce conditioned physiological patterns, which lead to craving and potentially to drug intake. The potency of visual drug-associated cues to capture attention and to activate drug-specific memory traces and accompanying physiological symptoms embedded in a cycle of abstinence and relapse--even in a 'so-called' soft drug--was assessed for the first time.

OBJECTIVE Cases of excessive computer gaming are increasingly reported by practitioners in the psychiatric field. Since there is no standardized definition of this symptom complex, the aim of this study is to access excessive computer gaming in German adolescents as an addictive disorder and its potential negative consequences. METHOD Psychopathological computer gaming behavior was diagnosed by applying the adapted diagnostic criteria of substance-related-addictions as defined by the ICD-10. At the same time demographic variables, state of clinical anxiety and underlying cognitive mechanisms were analyzed. RESULTS 6.3 % of the 221 participating pupils - mostly boys with a low educational background - fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of a behavioral addiction. Clinically diagnosed adolescents exhibited limited cognitive flexibility and were identified to utilize computer gaming as a mood management strategy. CONCLUSIONS These results can be interpreted as a first hint for a prevalence estimation of psychopathological computer gaming in German adolescents.

Abstract Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORPG players and 90 nonplayers using a Web-based questionnaire regarding their gaming behavior, problems as consequences of gaming, and game motivations and tested their statistical associations. Results indicated that (a) MMORPG players are significantly more likely to experience gaming-related problems relative to nonplayers, and that (b) the gaming motivations escapism and mechanics significantly predicted excessive gaming and appeared as stronger predictors than time investment in game. The findings support the necessity of using measures that distinguish between different types of online games. In addition, this study proves useful regarding the current discussion on establishing (online) gaming addiction as a diagnosis in future categorizations of psychopathology.

The time spent making a decision and its quality define a widely studied trade-off. Some models suggest that the time spent is set to optimize reward, as verified empirically in simple-decision making experiments. However, in a more complex perspective compromising components of regulation focus, ambitions, fear, risk and social variables, adjustment of the speed-accuracy trade-off may not be optimal. Specifically, regulatory focus theory shows that people can be set in a promotion mode, where focus is on seeking to approach a desired state (to win), or in a prevention mode, focusing to avoid undesired states (not to lose). In promotion, people are eager to take risks increasing speed and decreasing accuracy. In prevention, strategic vigilance increases, decreasing speed and improving accuracy. When time and accuracy have to be compromised, one can ask which of these 2 strategies optimizes reward, leading to optimal performance. This is investigated here in a unique experimental environment. Decision making is studied in rapid-chess (180 s per game), in which the goal of a player is to mate the opponent in a finite amount of time or, alternatively, time-out of the opponent with sufficient material to mate. In different games, players face strong and weak opponents. It was observed that (a) players adopt a more conservative strategy when facing strong opponents, with slower and more accurate moves, and (b) this strategy is suboptimal: Players increase their winning likelihood against strong opponents using the policy they adopt when confronting opponents with similar strength.(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

INTRODUCTION American Indian children have high rates of overweight and obesity, which may be partially attributable to screen-time behavior. Young children's screen-time behavior is strongly influenced by their environment and their parents' behavior. We explored whether parental television watching time, parental perceptions of children's screen time, and media-related resources in the home are related to screen time (ie, television, DVD/video, video game, and computer use) among Oglala Lakota youth residing on or near the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. METHODS We collected baseline data from 431 child and parent/caregiver pairs who participated in Bright Start, a group-randomized, controlled, school-based obesity prevention trial to reduce excess weight gain. Controlling for demographic characteristics, we used linear regression analysis to assess associations between children's screen time and parental television watching time, parental perceptions of children's screen time, and availability of media-related household resources. RESULTS The most parsimonious model for explaining child screen time included the children's sex, parental body mass index, parental television watching time, how often the child watched television after school or in the evening, parental perception that the child spent too much time playing video games, how often the parent limited the child's television time, and the presence of a VCR/DVD player or video game player in the home (F(7,367)= 14.67; P <.001; adjusted R(2)=.37). The presence of a television in the bedroom did not contribute significantly to the model. CONCLUSION Changes in parental television watching time, parental influence over children's screen-time behavior, and availability of media-related resources in the home could decrease screen time and may be used as a strategy for reducing overweight and obesity in American Indian children.

Abstract Although numerous benefits have been uncovered related to moderate video game play, research suggests that problematic video game playing behaviors can cause problems in the lives of some video game players. To further our understanding of this phenomenon, we investigated how problematic video game playing symptoms are related to an assortment of variables, including time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Additionally, we tested several simple mediation/moderation models to better explain previous theories that posit simple correlations between these variables. As expected, the results from the present study indicated that time management skills appeared to mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problematic play endorsement (though only for men). Unexpectedly, we found that ADHD symptoms appeared to mediate the relation between time management skills and problematic play behaviors; however, this was only found for women in our sample. Finally, future implications are discussed.

Summary Achieving body-weight stability is certainly challenging in today's obesogenic environment. Every day we are surrounded and affected by stimuli that act on our behaviour. A common feature of these stimuli is that they increase our comfort and well-being, but unfortunately they promote a positive caloric balance. Intriguingly, the preponderance of sedentary lifestyles is not only a matter of the amount of calories expended. A careful examination of modern sedentary activities reveals that they also promote overconsumption of food. This is particularly the case with television viewing, video game playing, cognitive working, music listening and short sleeping. Moreover, the increased food intake in the absence of hunger observed with the practice of these modern-life activities emphasizes that the hedonic value of food intake plays an important role. These observations suggest that our quest for reward and pleasure is not fine tuned to our biology, and the development of coping strategies is needed.

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OBJECTIVE: Psychobiological traits may be associated with excessive Internet use. This study assessed the relationships between biogenetic traits, the amount of time spent in online game playing, and the genre of the online game being played. METHODS: Five hundred sixty five students who enjoyed one of the four types of games included in this study were recruited. The types of games examined included role playing games (RPG), real-time strategy games (RTS), first person shooting games (FPS), and sports games. Behavioral patterns of game play, academic performance, and player biogenetic characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: The amount of time that the participants spent playing online games was significantly greater on weekends than on weekdays. On weekends, the types of games with the largest numbers of participants who played games for more than three hours were ranked as follows: RPG and FPS, RTS, and sports games. The Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS)score for the RPG group was the highest among the groups of the four types of game players. The time that participants spent playing games on weekdays was negatively associated with academic performance, especially for the RPG and FPS groups. Compared with the other groups, the RPG and RTS groups had higher novelty seeking (NS) scores and self-directedness (SD) scores, respectively. Additionally, the sports game group had higher reward dependency scores than the other groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RPGs may have specific factors that are attractive to latent game addicts with higher NS scores. Additionally, excessive playing of online games is related to impaired academic performance.

Media consumption may contribute to childhood obesity. This study developed and evaluated a theory-based, parent-focused intervention to reduce television and other media consumption to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. Families (n = 202) with children ages 6-9 were recruited from a large, urban multiethnic population into a randomized controlled trial (101 families into the intervention group and 101 into the control group), and were followed for 6 months. The intervention consisted of a 2-hour workshop and six bimonthly newsletters. Behavioral objectives included:(i) reduce TV watching;(ii) turn off TV when nobody is watching;(iii) no TV with meals;(iv) no TV in the child's bedroom; and (v) engage in fun non-media related activities. Parents were 89% female, 44% white, 28% African American, 17% Latino, and 11% Asian, mean age 40 years (s.d.= 7.5); 72% were married. Children were 49% female, mean age 8 years (s.d.= 0.95). Sixty-five percent of households had three or more TVs and video game players; 37% had at least one handheld video game, and 53% had three or more computers. Average children's weekday media exposure was 6.1 hours. At 6 months follow-up, the intervention group was less likely to report the TV being on when nobody was watching (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)= 0.23, P < 0.05), less likely to report eating snacks while watching TV (AOR = 0.47, P < 0.05), and less likely to have a TV in the child's bedroom (AOR = 0.23, P < 0.01). There was a trend toward reducing actual media consumption but these outcomes did not reach statistical significance. Effective strategies to reduce children's TV viewing were identified.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate school-aged children's and parents' attitudes, social influences, and intentions toward excessive screen-related sedentary behavior (S-RSB). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using a survey methodology. SETTING: Elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: All grades 5 and 6 students, their parents, and their teachers in the participating schools were invited to voluntarily participate; 508 student-parent pairs completed the surveys. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Children's screen-related behaviors. ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using the Independent Student t test to compare differences of continuous variables and the chi-square test to test for differences of categorical variables. RESULTS: Children spent 3.3 +/- 0.15 (standard error) hours per day engaged in screen-related activities. Entertainment, spending time with family, and boredom were cited as the top 3 reasons for television viewing and video game playing. Compared to "low-screen users"(ie,< 2 hours/day),"high-screen users"(ie,>/= 2 hours/day) had a less negative attitude toward excessive S-RSB and perceived loosened parental rules on screen use. Parents of high-screen users had a less negative attitude toward children's S-RSB, had fewer rules about their children's screen use, and were more likely to be sedentary themselves. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Intervention strategies aimed at reducing S-RSB should involve both parents and children and should focus on fostering behavioral changes and promoting parental role modeling.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of excessive computer game playing behaviour among adolescents with psychopathological tendencies that resemble the classic symptoms of addiction. To address this question, criteria for excessive computer game playing behaviour were developed on the basis of diagnostic criteria for substance-related disorders according to ICD-10. RESULTS: Excessive computer playing corresponding to addictive behaviour were found in 12.3% of the adolescents (n = 1068; 9.6% showed abusive and 2.7% dependent behaviour). Adolescents with excessive computer and video game playing behaviour also show substantial correlations with other psychosocial and psychopathological abnormalities, such as alterations in the intensity of social conflict, concentration deficits, maladaptive coping behaviour, stress and psychosomatic challenge, and school phobia. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides the first empirical data about excessive computer game playing among adolescents in Austria. It shows that pathological computer game playing can be well described by criteria developed in accordance to substance dependence, and that abusive or dependent computer game playing shows specific connections with psycho-social, psychopathological and motivational factors. Overall, the results demonstrate a clear need for deeper research on this subject and the need for a design of prevention measures.