ELTE PPK Represented at the Largest Scientific Forum on behavioural addictions
The International Conference on Behavioural Addictions (ICBA), launched by ELTE in 2013, offers an annual opportunity for discussions related to research on addictions specifically to non-chemical substances. This is an event where specialists researching the topic can meet each other. The only exception was the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, after a two-year suspension, the scholars could gather together again in person in Nottingham.
Research into behavioural addictions is of particular interest in Asia, which is why the continent hosted the conference for the second time. After the 2019 conference held in Yokohama, this year psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, and researchers from all over the world met in Incheon, South Korea. The three-day exchange of ideas was hosted by the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Addictions (ISSBA) and the Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and it was chaired by the heads of the two societies, Zsolt Demetrovics and Hae Kook Lee. Andrea Eisinger, lecturer at ELTE PPK and secretary at ISSBA, also took a lion’s share in organising the event.
At this event with more than 300 participants, ELTE was represented by several researchers (Dana Katz, Natália Kocsel, Beatrix Koronczai, Bernadette Kun, Barbara Mervó, Zsuzsa Pesthy, Attila Szabó, Róbert Urbán) preparing posters, delivering papers, and chairing sessions. Natália Kocsel, assistant professor at the ELTE PPK Department of Clinical Psychology and Addiction, won the Best Poster Award. Her work presented the role of rumination and impulsivity in the development of problem gambling longitudinally.
The main topics of the conference covered the entire spectrum of behavioural addictions. In her plenary lecture, Sally Gainsbury (University of Sydney) spoke about reconceptualising the reduction of gambling harm, in which she emphasised the importance of encouraging engagement in lower-risk gambling as well as considering the consumers’ perspectives when planning research. In his lecture, Hans-Jürgen Rumf (University of Lübeck) summarised the research results achieved so far in the early treatment of internet use disorders (screening, short interventions). Hyeon Woo Yim (Catholic University of Korea) presented a follow-up study on a large sample of school children and adolescents, which monitored changes in internet gaming disorders, revealing the role of ADHD symptoms in the persistence of the disorders. Robert J. Vallerand (Université du Québec á Montréal) presented the dualistic model of passion and its relationship to addictive behaviour. Susumu Higuchi (National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Centre) shared with the audience their experience with patients diagnosed with gaming disorder. In her lecture, Anise Wu (University of Macau) talked about two empirical studies on problem gambling, through which she revealed various patterns of gambling behaviour among Chinese users.
In addition to the topics above, the lectures covered problematic social media use, binge-watching, compulsive sexual behaviour, problematic pornography consumption, compulsive shopping, work addiction, sports addiction, and food addiction, among other things.
During the event, there was a vote on the new ISSBA presidency, as a result of which Zsolt Demetrovics was elected president for another five years. Additionally, Orsolya Király and Beáta Bőthe were included among the board members.
Next year, the conference will be held in Gibraltar for researchers interested in behavioural addictions and professionals engaged in treatment.
Source: ELTE PPK