Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate social cognition and
emotion regulation skills in individuals with Internet Addiction (IA)
and Internet addiction with comorbid Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (IA + ADHD).
Method: The sample of the study consist of 30 IA, 30 IA + ADHD
patients, 30 healthy controls between the ages of 12-17 who applied to the
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Technology Outpatient
Clinic. K-SADS-PL, WISC-R, sociodemographic data form, Internet
Addiction Scale (IAS), Addiction Profile Index Internet Addiction
Form (APIINT), Beck Depression Inventory, Global Assessment of
Functioning Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were
applied to all participants. Social cognition was evaluated using Faces
Test, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, The Unexpected Outcomes
Test, Faux Paus, Hinting Test and Comprehension Test.
Results: In social cognition tests, IA and IA + ADHD groups failed
significantly compared to the control group. Emotion regulation
difficulties were significantly higher in IA and IA + ADHD groups
compared to the control group (p<0.001). Use of the internet for doing
homeworks (p<0.001) was found to be higher in the control group than
in the IA and IA + ADHD groups
Conclusion: It has been found that individuals diagnosed with internet
addiction have difficulties in both social cognition and emotion
regulation, which is more severe in the presence of comorbid ADHD.
Keywords: Internet addiction; social cognition; emotion regulation
difficulties; Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; DSM-5