Effects of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies on the Affective Network of Adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder.

This research explored the effects of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) on the emotional wellbeing of adolescents suffering from Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). The scientists found that EAAT improved attachment issues and increased functional connectivity within the affective network, potentially decreasing the severity of IGD symptoms.

Study Overview and Methodology

• The research focused on the effects of EAAT on adolescents suffering from IGD, particularly those exhibiting insecure attachment issues.
• The investigation centered on the hypothesis that EAAT would improve attachment issues in these adolescents and increase functional connectivity within their affective networks.
• The participating subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, the Korean Experiences in Close Relationships Scale Revised version (K-ECRS), the Child Depression Inventory, Young’s Internet Addiction Scale, the Korean Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after EAAT.
• The sample consisted of fifteen adolescents with IGD displaying insecure attachment issues and fifteen healthy comparison adolescents exhibiting secure attachment.

Results of the Study

• The study found that after seven days of EAAT, K-ECRS avoidance and anxiety scores improved in all adolescents.
• The IGD group showed a significant improvement in K-ECRS avoidance scores compared to the healthy group.
• Functional connectivity from the left amygdala to several other brain areas increased in all participants.
• In IGD adolescents, functional connectivity from the left amygdala to the left frontal orbital gyrus and also from the right amygdala to the right corpus callosum showed an increase.

Conclusions and Implications

• The study concluded that EAAT enhances attachment, potentially leading to a decrease in the severity of IGD symptoms in IGD patients with insecure attachment issues.
• Additionally, EAAT significantly increases functional connectivity within the affective network in both healthy adolescents and those suffering from IGD.
• These findings suggest that EAAT could serve as an effective therapeutic method for adolescents with IGD, especially those grappling with attachment issues.