Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2026 Oct;35(4):797-811. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2026.06.001. Epub 2026 Jul 14.
ABSTRACT
Youth appear to be disproportionately impacted by addictive behaviors (ie, gaming/gambling disorders and problematic use of pornography, social media, and artificial intelligence chatbots) and may benefit from greater clinical attention in screening and treatment. This review synthesizes current evidence on the diagnosis, screening, and treatment of behavioral addictions, with specific recommendations for future research and clinical practice. The review suggests the need to understand addictive behaviors from a continuum-based lens rather than diagnostic thresholds alone, offer flexible treatment models that are responsive to different levels of need, and build a stronger evidence base for existing and emerging (eg, neuromodulation) interventions.
PMID:42686315 | DOI:10.1016/j.chc.2026.06.001
