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Rostam-Abadi Y, Stefanovics EA, Zhai ZW, Potenza MN. An exploratory study of the prevalence and adverse associations of in-school traditional bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents in Connecticut. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 173:372-380. [PMID: 38593696 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Bullying, traditional or cyber, among adolescents, is a public health concern. In this study, we explored frequencies and correlates of different forms of bullying among Connecticut high-school students. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2019 from Connecticut adolescents (N = 1814) were used. χ2 tests and survey-weighted logistic regressions examined relationships between bullying subgroups (in-school traditional bullying (ISTB) only, cyberbullying only, and both) and mental concerns, risk behaviors, academic performance, physical health, and receipt of social support, with the logistic regressions adjusted for demographics. The past-12-month frequency of having experienced only cyberbullying was 5.6%, only ISTB was 9.1%, and both forms was 8.7%. Between-group differences were observed by bullying status in terms of sex and race/ethnicity. In adjusted models, bullying status was associated with suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression/dysphoria, mental health, use of alcohol, marijuana, injection drugs, tobacco, and e-vapor, gambling, driving under influence of alcohol, high-risk sexual behavior, physical fights, weapon-carrying, injuries/threats at school, feeling unsafe at school, dating violence, obesity, poor general health, insecure housing, less perceived family support, and poor academic performance. People experiencing both types of bullying were typically more likely to report adverse measures. High-school students commonly report bullying. The findings that both forms (traditional and cyber) were more robustly linked to negative experiences highlight the need for examining further relationships between types and patterns of bullying and mental health and functioning. Better understanding may help improve preventive anti-bullying interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasna Rostam-Abadi
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elina A Stefanovics
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs New England Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center (MIRECC), West Haven, CT, USA; National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Zu Wei Zhai
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Quaglieri A, Pizzo A, Cricenti C, Tagliaferri G, Frisari FV, Burrai J, Mari E, Lausi G, Giannini AM, Zivi P. Gambling and virtual reality: unraveling the illusion of near-misses effect. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1322631. [PMID: 38362030 PMCID: PMC10867214 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1322631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Studying gambling behavior is a crucial element in reducing the impact of problem gambling. Nevertheless, most current research is carried out in controlled laboratory settings rather than real-life situations, which raises concerns about how applicable the findings are in the broader context. Virtual reality (VR) has proven to be a valuable tool and has been utilized in various experimental scenarios. A limited number of studies have employed VR to investigate gambling behaviors, and few have explored them in an older adolescent context. Methods This study examined the behavioral and physiological effects of gambling behavior, including problem gambling, gaming addiction, and risk-taking decision-making in a sample of 36 high-school students aged between 18 to 20 years using an ad-hoc constructed VR scenario designed to simulate a slot-machine platform. Results The behavioral results highlighted that participants reporting more problem gambling were sensitive to near-misses: i.e., they bet more after near-misses than after losses. This result may reflect the false belief that gamblers, after near-misses, are closer to winning. Physiological data showed that participants exhibited heart rate deceleration during the anticipation of the outcome, which has been suggested to represent a marker of feedback anticipation processing and hyposensitivity to losses. Discussion Overall, this study provides evidence for a new VR tool to assess gambling behaviors and new insights into gambling-related behavioral and physiological factors. Implications for the treatment of problem gambling are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandra Pizzo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesca Valeria Frisari
- Department of Psychology of Development and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jessica Burrai
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mari
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lausi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Pierpaolo Zivi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Farhat LC, Zhai ZW, Hoff RA, Krishnan-Sarin S, Potenza MN. An Exploratory Study of Shopping to Relieve Tension or Anxiety in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Perceptions and Behaviors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:6169. [PMID: 35627706 PMCID: PMC9140366 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The desire to escape from pressures/anxiety represents an important motivation for problematic engagement with short-term rewarding behaviors that could contribute to the development of recognized and candidate behavioral addictions, including problematic shopping, a prevalent condition among youth in the U.S.A. characterized by excessive shopping cognitions/behaviors that lead to distress/impairment. However, to date, the specific correlates of shopping to relieve anxiety or tension have yet to be evaluated. We aimed at addressing this gap by analyzing data (N = 2556) from a high-school survey from Connecticut in an exploratory fashion. Adolescents who acknowledged experiencing a growing tension or anxiety that could only be relieved by shopping were classified as having negative-reinforcement shopping and compared to the remaining students. Data were analyzed in chi-square and logistic regression models to examine negative-reinforcement shopping in relation to socio-demographics, health correlates, gambling-related perceptions/attitudes, and problem-gambling severity/gambling behaviors. Negative-reinforcement shopping was more frequent in female and Hispanic students, was linked to more permissive gambling attitudes and at-risk/problematic gambling, and was associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs, dysphoria/depression, and weapon-carrying and physical fighting. Taken together, these findings highlight adverse measures of health and functioning linked to negative-reinforcement shopping that may be particularly relevant to girls and Hispanic youth. Additional efforts to prevent negative outcomes are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis C. Farhat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-903, Brazil;
| | - Zu Wei Zhai
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA;
| | - Rani A. Hoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (R.A.H.); (S.K.-S.)
- Northeast Program Evaluation Center, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (R.A.H.); (S.K.-S.)
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (R.A.H.); (S.K.-S.)
- Northeast Program Evaluation Center, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT 06109, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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