Zusammenfassung. Einleitung: Internetbezogene Störungen (IBS) bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen sind eng mit Familienfaktoren verknüpft. Dennoch beziehen wenige Forschungs- und Übersichtsarbeiten die Familie mit ein. Methodik: Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Überblick zu Elternfaktoren, die bei der Entstehung, Aufrechterhaltung und Reduktion einer Symptomatik beteiligt sein können. Hierfür wurden N = 87 wissenschaftliche Arbeiten in die Literaturübersicht integriert. Ergebnisse: Klare Zusammenhänge finden sich in der Literatur zwischen der Eltern-Kind-Beziehung und IBS bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen. Die Qualität der Eltern-Kind-Kommunikation erscheint ein vielversprechender Ansatz zu sein, um eine IBS-Symptomatik zu beeinflussen. Es gibt Hinweise, dass zumindest für manche Familien die Förderung der gemeinsam verbrachten Zeit hilfreich sein könnte. In Bezug auf erzieherische Aspekte sollte zwischen verschiedenen Bereichen unterschieden werden. Elterliches Wissen und Kontrolle der Internetnutzung scheinen Schutzfaktoren zu sein, der Effekt von Regeln und Restriktionen ist jedoch ungeklärt. Schlussfolgerungen: Um eine IBS-Symptomatik zu verändern, ist es sinnvoll, die Eltern-Kind-Beziehung zu verbessern. Die Wege dorthin sind jedoch kaum erforscht. Empfehlungen in Bezug auf Erziehungsstrategien (z. B. Regeln und Restriktionen) sollten sehr vorsichtig formuliert werden, da die Effekte noch unklar sind. Die Integration der Eltern in Prävention und Intervention wird von vielen Forscher_innen befürwortet, es gibt jedoch nur einzelne Studien, die Eltern im Rahmen von Interventionen berücksichtigen.

Background: Internet Use Disorder (IUD), Gaming Disorder (GD), and Social Network Use Disorder (SNUD) are common phenomena among adolescents and young adults. Negative consequences of such disorders can be observed in the individuals themselves and in the family system. Although parents can influence their children in many ways, they are rarely considered in interventions. The present study examines the effectiveness of a group-based training for parents of adolescents with IUD, GD, or SNUD. Methods: A total of 76 parents of adolescents (12 to 20 years) were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG) or the waiting list control group. Parents in the IG participated over eight weeks in six sessions of training (topics: psychoeducation, parenting behaviour, parent-child relationships, parent-child communication, and stress and relaxation). Questionnaires on adolescent symptomatology, parent-child relationships, and parental burden were collected before and after the intervention/waiting period. Results: The training reduced the IUD symptomatology of adolescents from the parents’ perspective. GD symptomatology improved for at-risk users, though not for pathological users. Some aspects of the parent-child relationships improved in the mothers’ judgment. Parental stress was already low before the training. Conclusions: The presented parent group training can be used to improve IUD symptomatology in adolescents and is effective in the context of early intervention for at-risk computer gamers.

Aim: Parents can influence the Internet use (IUD) or gaming disorder (GD) in their children in various ways. However, there is scant published research and limited structured guidelines on the subject. This article describes a group training for parents that does not require the participation of the affected individuals. Methods: In this non-controlled pilot study, 42 parents (31 families) participated, completing diagnostic questionnaires before and after group training (adolescent’s GD Symptomatology, adolescent’s internalizing and externalizing problems, the parent’s and adolescent’s quality of life). The training included six sessions and was divided into four main topics (psychoeducation, parent-child-communication, analysing and changing, own limits and needs). Results: The training was well-received by the participants. The training itself and most of the content were rated as helpful. From the parents’ point of view, there were significant improvements in the GD symptomatology, the adolescent’s internalizing and externalizing problems, and adolescent’s quality of life. The parents’ quality of life was already at an average high level at the beginning of the training and hardly changed. Conclusions: The training program is easy to implement and is considered beneficial. There are indications that positive changes are triggered by the training, even though the affected persons themselves are not involved. A randomized controlled efficacy study is still pending.

Introduction: Early interventions targeting individuals with initial symptoms of Internet use disorders have the potential to prevent disorder escalation and reduce first symptoms. Given that Internet use disorders, including gaming disorder and social network use disorder, often emerge during adolescence, early interventions for children and adolescents are crucial from both clinical and public health perspectives. These interventions typically focus on selective or indicated prevention strategies, addressing both individuals at risk and their significant others. Methods: This systematic review was conducted as part of the development of the AWMF S1 guideline on Internet use disorders. A PICO framework guided the formulation of clinical questions. A systematic literature search in Web of Science and PubMed (2011–2021) yielded 1,719 studies, from which 40 were selected for full-text analysis. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated using CONSORT guidelines. Evidence levels and recommendation strengths were assigned according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) and AWMF guidelines, respectively. Results: Nine studies, primarily focusing on gaming and social network use disorders, supported the development of six recommendations for early interventions. Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated that indicated prevention programs in educational settings significantly reduced Internet use disorder symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was identified as the preferred intervention approach. A longitudinal study supported the use of CBT in counseling centers for adolescents with subclinical Internet use disorder symptoms. Parent-focused interventions and online interventions also showed promising results. Discussion: The evidence supports the implementation of early intervention programs for Internet use disorders in educational, counseling, and family settings. Especially CBT was effective in reducing Internet use disorder symptoms. However, further research is needed to assess long-term outcomes and address gaps in early interventions for adult populations and less-studied forms of Internet use disorders, such as pornography use and compulsive shopping.

Background: Insomnia disorder in childhood and adolescence has severe implications on overall well-being and development. Age-specific treatments for insomnia disorder with cognitive behavioral interventions (CBT-I) are available and effective. Nightmare disorder also has severe consequences in children and adolescents. However, less is known about children with insomnia (I) and comorbid nightmare disorder (I + N). Methods: In this retrospective study, data from 499 children and adolescents with insomnia disorder were included. The prevalence of a comorbid nightmare disorder (I + N) was calculated within three subsamples (toddlers and preschoolers 0.5–4 years, elementary school children 5–10 years, and adolescents 11–18 years). Differences between children with insomnia (I) and those with additional nightmare disorder (I + N) regarding age, sex, family background, sleep quality (SOL, WASO, TST, and SE) based on sleep logs, behavior sleep problems (based on interviews), and behavioral problems (CBCL and YSR) were calculated within each age group. Results: The overall prevalence of additional nightmares or nightmare disorder in children or adolescents with insomnia was 15–24%. We found various clinically relevant differences between I and I + N for each age group; for example, there were more sleep onset association problems in I + N elementary school children, prolonged SOL of 56 min, and about 50 min less TST and SE of 76.8% in I + N adolescents. However, most statistical tests were not significant. Especially sleep parameters but also emotional burden were more pronounced in I + N groups than in the I groups. Toddlers and preschoolers with I + N were significantly older than those with only I, had another family situation (e.g., divorced parents) significantly more often, and I + N adolescents were statistically more often anxious and depressed. Discussion: Descriptively, I + N children and adolescents seemed to be more impaired than those with insomnia only. However, a comorbid nightmare disorder cannot be recognized by insomnia-specific sleep parameters. Therefore, diagnostic procedures for insomnia should always screen for nightmares but also other sleep disorders. If necessary, CBT-I should be supplemented with nightmare-specific interventions.

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Early Career Scientists (ECS) sind Akteur:innen des Wandels und treibende Kräfte in der Förderung psychischer Gesundheit. Das Deutsche Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG) ist eine wichtige Initiative zur Begleitung und Unterstützung von Karrieren im Bereich der psychischen Gesundheit. Ziel: ECS sollen mithilfe des DZPG in einer interdisziplinären und interinstitutionellen wissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft gefördert und engagiert werden. Strukturen, Themen und Initiativen: Das ECS-Board, bestehend aus 18 gewählten ECS-Vertreter:innen, spielt hierfür im DZPG eine zentrale Rolle. Die ECS-Kultur gibt den Mitgliedern eine Mitbestimmungsstruktur, unterstützt Ideen und bekennt sich zu Autonomie. Die sog. DZPG-Akademie wurde entwickelt, um Kommunikation und Vernetzung zu erleichtern und Zusammenarbeit zu fördern. Das DZPG vertritt Schlüsselthemen wie Gleichstellung, Vielfalt, Inklusion, Familienfreundlichkeit und Work-Life-Balance. Das DZPG bietet den ECS Möglichkeiten, zeitgemäße und notwendige Fähigkeiten und Kompetenzen zu entwickeln. Es erweitert die bundesweite Unterstützung für ECS um Fördermöglichkeiten, Unterstützung psychischer Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz sowie Karriereberatung. Das ECS-Board engagiert sich für Patient:innen- und Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung und -mitwirkung, Wissenschaftskommunikation sowie den Wissenstransfer in verschiedene Bereiche. Schlussfolgerungen: Das DZPG wird unter Beteiligung der ECS Trainingsprogramme, den Studierenden- und Akademiker:innenaustausch, Forschungskooperationen und die Bündelung von Ressourcen zur Einwerbung von Fördermitteln und Stipendien fördern. Es wird außerdem die Einrichtung von Knotenpunkten für ECS-Netzwerke unterstützen und den Ausbau der internationalen Kompetenz der ECS in Deutschland fördern.