Background: Internet gaming is extremely popular, but some players engage in overuse, with negative outcomes. Knowing the prevalence rate and specific risk factors can provide a better understanding of the etiology of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IGD among Chinese adolescents and associate IGD with their personality traits and Internet gaming characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized in this study. Participants were recruited from 34 provincial administrative districts in China and consisted of 6,379 adolescent game players aged 15–25 (males/females = 3,701/2,678, mean age: 19.35 ± 1.61). A self-report structured questionnaire containing questions regarding demographic information and Internet gaming use characteristics, the Video Gaming Dependency Scale, and the Chinese Big Five Inventory-brief version, was used in the study. Results: The prevalence of IGD among Chinese adolescent game players was 17.0%. All participants were divided into the IGD group (males/females=751/333, mean age: 19.74±1.85) or the non-IGD group (males/females=2950/2345, mean age: 19.27±1.54). Specifically, twelve factors were good predictors displaying significant associations with IGD (p<0.001), including neuroticism (β= 0.17), conscientiousness (β= 0.14), Internet gaming time per day (Hour) (β= 0.21), Internet gaming charge per month (Yuan) (β= 0.20), motive: escaping (β= 0.15), motive: sensation seeking (β= 0.13), motive: passing time (β= 0.08), motive: coping (β= 0.06), having one or two long-term game partners (β= 0.06), gender (β= 0.12), education (β= 0.04), and relationship status (β= 0.04). Conclusion: Specific personality traits (neuroticism, conscientiousness) and Internet gaming characteristics (time and game expenses, motives) were associated with IGD in our sample of Chinese adolescents.

Background and aims: Asian countries are deemed to be high prevalence areas for gaming disorder (GD). This meta-analysis is the first to synthesize the overall prevalence of GD in East Asia and investigate characteristics that influence prevalence estimates. Methods: Systematic and independent searches were conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library since their inception to January 27, 2021. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale was used for quality assessment. A random effect model was used to calculate the overall GD prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: In total, 22 articles (26 studies) comprising 51,525 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of GD in East Asia was 12%, 95% CI (10%–15%); this figure was adjusted to 6%, 95% CI (3%–9%) for a representative sample. Higher prevalence was observed in males than in females (16% vs. 8%, respectively, P < 0.05). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed that studies among gamers or those without random sampling reported significantly higher prevalence rates. There were no significant differences between countries/regions, sample size, quality score, proportion of males, and scale used. Discussion and conclusions: The prevalence of GD in East Asia is higher than that in other world regions. Future studies should extend such epidemiological research to other regions to calculate the accurate prevalence of GD to benefit the local identification, prevention, policy formulation, and treatment efforts. Considering its negative effects, effective preventive and treatment measures for GD in East Asia need greater attention.

Background: Suicidal ideation is the first step and a strong predictor of suicide. College students are at a considerably high risk of suicidal ideation, and smartphones are commonly used in this group. However, the relationship between suicidal ideation and smartphone use among Chinese college students is unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Chinese college students and its association with smartphone use and addiction factors.Methods: A total of 439 college students participated the survey. We collected the demographic information, physical health, psychosocial factors (depressive symptoms, social support, sleep quality), characteristics of smartphone use, and mobile phone addiction (MPA). Suicidal ideation was measured with a single question, “did you feel that life was not worth living in the past 1 year?”Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation (“Yes” response) in the past year among Chinese college students was 7.5%. In binary logistic regression analysis, suicidal ideation was significantly correlated with less subjective social support (OR: 2.49,p= 0.049), lower utilization of social support (OR: 13.28,p= 0.012), more depressive symptoms (OR:4.96,p= 0.005), and more than 5 h of daily smartphone use (OR: 2.60,p= 0.025).Conclusion: Considering the widely use of smartphones in Chinese colleges and the correlation with suicidal ideation, excessive phone use among college students should be given more attention by administrators and health workers. It is necessary to obtain more information about the intention of smartphone use, make full use of smartphones for health education, and monitor excessive use of smartphones, while improving social support and coping mechanisms for depression, to identify suicidal ideation and prevent suicidal behavior among Chinese college students.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has adversely influenced human physical and mental health, including emotional disorders and addictions. This study examined substance and Internet use behavior and their associations with anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online self-report questionnaire was administered to 2196 Chinese adults between February 17 and 29, 2020. The questionnaire contained the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), questions on demographic information, and items about substance and Internet use characteristics. Our results revealed that males consumed less alcohol (p < 0.001) and areca-nut (p = 0.012) during the pandemic than before the pandemic. Age, gender, education status, and occupation significantly differed among increased substance users, regular substance users, and nonsubstance users. Time spent on the Internet was significantly longer during the pandemic (p < 0.001) and 72% of participants reported increased dependence on the Internet. Compared to regular Internet users, increased users were more likely to be younger and female. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age <33 years (OR = 2.034,p < 0.001), increased substance use (OR = 3.439,p < 0.001), and increased Internet use (OR = 1.914,p < 0.001) were significantly associated with depression. Moreover, anxiety was significantly related to female gender (OR = 2.065,p < 0.001), “unmarried” status (OR = 1.480,p = 0.017), nonstudents (OR = 1.946–3.030,p = 0.001), and increased substance use (OR = 4.291,p < 0.001). Although there was a significant decrease in social substance use during the pandemic, more attention should be paid to increased Internet use. Increased Internet use was significantly associated with both anxiety and depression, and increased substance use was related to depression. Professional support should be provided to vulnerable individuals to prevent addiction.

Computerised cognitive remediation therapy (CCRT) and aerobic exercise are often used to rehabilitate social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of CCRT combined with aerobic exercise on cognitive function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with schizophrenia and cognitive impairment. Ninety-six patients with schizophrenia and cognitive impairment were included in this study and randomly divided into control, aerobic exercise (AE), and CCRT combined with aerobic exercise (CAE) groups. Changes in processing speed and cognitive flexibility at week 8 were evaluated as primary and secondary cognitive outcomes using the Trail Making Test: Part A, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia: Symbol Coding Test, and the Stroop Colour-Word Test. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores and serum BDNF expression were determined as other secondary outcomes. The CAE group showed significantly better performance in terms of changes in processing speed and cognitive flexibility than the control and AE groups at week 8 (p < 0.05); however, no significant improvements in processing speed and cognitive flexibility were found between the control and AE groups. The CAE group showed significant improvements in the PANSS negative symptoms than the control group at week 8 (p < 0.05), but the AE group showed no significant difference in the changes of PANSS negative symptoms when compared with the other two groups. The CAE group and AE group showed a greater increase in serum BDNF levels than the control group (p < 0.01), but there was no significant difference in serum BDNF expression between the CAE group and AE group. In conclusion, 8-week CCRT combined with aerobic exercise may improve some cognitive performance and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Aerobic exercise may have an immediate effect on serum BDNF levels rather than cognitive function.