This study aimed to determine the impact of lifetime physical, psychological, and sexual intimate male partner violence (IPV) on the mental health of women, after controlling for the contribution of lifetime victimization. The comorbidity of depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their relation to state anxiety and suicide were also assessed. Physically/psychologically (n = 75) and psychologically abused women (n = 55) were compared with nonabused control women (n = 52). Information about sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime victimization, and mental health status (depressive and state anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and suicide) was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Women exposed to physical/psychological and psychological IPV had a higher incidence and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and thoughts of suicide than control women, with no differences between the two abused groups. The concomitance of sexual violence was associated with a higher severity of depressive symptoms in both abused groups and a higher incidence of suicide attempts in the physically/psychologically abused group. The incidence of PTSD alone was very rare, and depressive symptoms were either alone or comorbid with PTSD. The severity of state anxiety was higher in abused women with depressive symptoms or comorbidity, as was the incidence of suicidal thoughts in the physically/psychologically abused group. Lifetime victimization was not a predictor of the deterioration of mental health in this study. These findings indicate that psychological IPV is as detrimental as physical IPV, with the exception of effects on suicidality, which emphasizes that psychological IPV should be considered a major type of violence by all professionals involved.

Internet constituye una tecnología que ha impactado especialmente a las personas jóvenes y les ha proporcionado muchos beneficios. Pero algunas personas llegan a estar obsesionadas con Internet, se muestran incapaces de controlar su uso y pueden poner en peligro su trabajo y sus relaciones. Este artículo aborda el problema del uso inadecuado de estas tecnologías. El uso y abuso de Internet están relacionados con variables psicosociales, tales como la vulnerabilidad psicológica, los factores estresantes y el apoyo familiar y social. Hay algunos factores de riesgo específicos para el abuso de las redes sociales entre los jóvenes. Algunas señales de alarma se disparan antes de que una afición se convierta en una adicción. El concepto de “adicción a Internet” se ha propuesto como una explicación para comprender la pérdida de control y el uso dañino de esta tecnología. Los síntomas de la adicción a Internet son comparables a los manifestados en otras adicciones. Deben programarse estrategias preventivas tanto en el seno de la familia como en la escuela sobre la base de los factores de riesgo y de las características demográficas de los sujetos. El objetivo del tratamiento, a diferencia de otras adicciones, debe ser el uso controlado. El tratamiento psicológico de elección es el control de estímulos y la exposición gradual a Internet, seguido de un programa de prevención de recaídas. Se requiere más información sobre los programas más adecuados para los pacientes más jóvenes, así como estrategias motivacionales para el tratamiento. Se comentan las implicaciones de esta revisión para la práctica clínica y la investigación futura en este campo, así como las limitaciones actualmente existentes.

The aim of this paper was to test the comparative effectiveness of three therapeutic modalities: a) individual stimulus control and exposure with response prevention; b) group cognitive restructuring; and c) a+b in the treatment of pathological gambling with slot machines. An additional waiting-list group was used to evaluate the spontaneous evolution of the non-treated gamblers. The sample consisted of 64 patients selected according to DSM-III-R criteria. A multigroup experimental design with repeated measures (pretreatment, posttreatment and 1, 3, 6 and 12-month follow-up) was used. Most treated patients gave up gambling as well as improved, albeit more slowly, in family/social and psychological functioning. The success rate was higher in the individual treatment compared both to group and combined treatment. There was also an improvement in gambling in the control group between the pretreatment and the 6–month follow-up and there was no difference between the combined treatment and control group. Individual stimulus control and exposure with response prevention appears to be a cost-effective therapy for pathological gambling. Implications of this study for clinical practice and future research in this field are discussed.