OBJECTIVE

To determine the main clinical, psychopathological, and psychometric parameters of pathological gambling (PG) and Internet addictions (IAs) in young patients with non-psychotic diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ninety-three patients with IAs and/or PG were examined for the period 2020—2024. The mean age of patients at the time of the initial examination was 21.5±3.2 years. The clinical-psychopathological, psychometric, and retrospective analysis methods were used.

RESULTS

Patients were divided into three groups according to the types of non-chemical addictions: Group 1 with a predominance of PG (n=21, 22.6%) was characterized by a family history of behavioral and chemical addictions in line I—II relatives. In these patients, significant manifestations of affective disorders were revealed (71.43%), with high suicidal activity (38.10%), as well as the highest level of pathological impulsivity according to the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (96; 94.00—99.00). Group 2 with IAs (n=43, 46.2%) was characterized by the predominance of neurotic disorders of the anxiety and obsessive-compulsive types (72.09%) and eating disorders (20.93%). The mixed Group 3 (n=29, 31.2%) was characterized by the most recent manifestation of addictive behavior, was socially maladaptive, with the overlay of chemical dependencies (62.07%), the highest prevalence of affective disorders (86.21%) and a high prevalence of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSIB) (68.97%).

CONCLUSION

An association was found between variants of non-chemical addictions and affective and neurotic comorbidities, as well as autoaggressive and suicidal behavior. Predictive markers significant for determining the further trajectory for each of the groups were identified. The most severe course was observed in the mixed group, indicating a more unfavorable prognosis. The revealed increased pathological level of impulsivity warrants the need for further study of this phenomenon and the development of preventive and therapeutic targets.