Differential Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Addictive Disorders: a Comparison between Substance Use Disorders and Internet/Gaming Addiction

The present study investigated if adolescent substance use disorders (SUD) and internet/gaming addiction (IGA) exhibit shared associations with delinquency and childhood adversity. We examined data from 260 adolescents who presented at an addiction treatment center. Information on diagnosis, history of delinquency and childhood adversity were obtained based on retrospective chart review. Logistic regression was conducted to examine factors associated with SUD and IGA. Adolescents with older age of presentation, non-Chinese ethnicity, a history of delinquency or childhood adversity were more likely to have SUD; while adolescents with non-Chinese ethnicity or a history of delinquency were less likely to have IGA. Additionally, IGA was not associated with age of presentation, gender, or childhood adversity. Adolescent SUD and IGA have different associations with risk factors. IGA does not appear to belong with a cluster of adolescent problem behaviors. More research is needed to clarify diagnostic and etiologic conceptualizations.