title: Social skills deficits and their association with Internet addiction and activities in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: Background and aims The aims of this study were to examine the association between social skills deficits and Internet addiction and activities in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as the moderators for this association. Methods A total of 300 adolescents, aged between 11 and 18 years, who had been diagnosed with ADHD participated in this study. Their Internet addiction levels, social skills deficits, ADHD, parental characteristics, and comorbidities were assessed. The various Internet activities that the participants engaged in were also examined. Results The associations between social skills deficits and Internet addiction and activities and the moderators of these associations were examined using logistic regression analyses. Social skills deficits were significantly associated with an increased risk of Internet addiction after adjustment for the effects of other factors [odds ratio (OR) = 1.049, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.030-1.070]. Social skills deficits were also significantly associated with Internet gaming and watching movies. The maternal occupational socioeconomic levels of the participants moderated the association between social skills deficits and Internet addiction. Conclusions Social skills deficits should be considered targets in prevention and intervention programs for treating Internet addiction among adolescents with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Jiun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|3 Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Nursing, The State University of New York, University at Buffalo , Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Psychiatry, Tainan Municipal Hospital , Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Huei-Fan
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|3 Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009040:Motion Pictures; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010045:Outpatients; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D066107:Social Skills; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: Internet addiction; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; comorbidity; social skills deficits