Study aims to identify addictive behaviours
RISK HAS INCREASED AFTER ISOLATING EFFECTS OF COVID
Given the high rate of internet penetration in the UAE, residents are at heightened risk of developing behavioural addictions to a variety of behaviours, including gaming, shopping, and social media use.
These addictive behaviours have been known to increase as a result of the isolating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is therefore set to launch a new study to obtain a crosssectional picture of addictions in patients seeking help for psychological problems, a top expert announced yesterday at the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) conference in Abu Dhabi.
“Behavioural addictions develop because these actions offer a natural reward for the patient. Beyond a certain level however, they can be damaging, prompting patients to seek medical help. We want to gain an idea of the most common types of behavioural addictions in the UAE among both Emiratis and expats, especially since we have no data on this subject at present,” said Dr Shamil Wanigaratne, consultant clinical psychologist and senior adviser to the NRC director general. He was speaking at the ISSUP 2022 conference in Abu Dhabi.
“For this study, we will use data provided by clinicians across the UAE. We hope the results will act as a gateway to further study the prevalence of addictive behaviours among youth, specifically those aged 12-18 years old, and then allow for the development of evidence-based treatments to help those affected,” he added.
Growing concerns
Behavioural addictions, sometimes known as impulse control disorders, offer a sense of reward to addicts, similar to the reward experienced by the use of substances. Diagnostic models do not currently include the criteria necessary to identify behaviours as addictions in a clinical setting, but they were proposed as a new class of disorders in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
“The DSM-5 does include gambling, but we have seen increased anecdotal evidence and concerns about gaming disorder, especially in Southeast Asia. We do not know how prevalent it is in the UAE, but the country has one of the highest rates of internet penetration. We need to know, are youth at risk? Because once they get addicted, the brain gets used to the reward system,” Dr Wanigaratne said.
Without action, the problem will only increase, the expert added.
We want to gain an idea of the most common types of behavioural addictions in the UAE among both Emiratis and expats, especially since we have no data on this at present.”
Dr Shamil Wanigaratne | Consultant clinical psychologist
Different treatment
“The kind of treatment required for behavioural addictions also differs from treatment for substance abuse disorders, and this study will indicate roughly how much intervention may be required.
“Once approved by health regulators, we expect to launch the study this year, and will collect data for a month or so. The idea is that people who are facing difficulties due to addictive behaviours will first approach primary care physicians, family doctors, and clinicians, and it is the scale of these reports that we are trying to capture with this study,” Dr Wanigaratne added.