Inhibitory Control, Impulsivity and Internet Addiction: Testing the Mediating Role of Oppositional Defiant Disorder Among ADHD Adolescents With and Without Gaming Disorder

Abstract Aims To test whether inhibitory control and impulsivity are significant predictor of Internet addiction in adolescents with ADHD and ADHD + GD and whether the relationship between inhibitory control/impulsivity and Internet addiction is mediated by ODD in both groups. Methods 154 boys (ADHD, n = 90; ADHD + GD, n = 64) were tested on their inhibitory control, impulsivity, ODD, and Internet addiction. Regression analyses were used to test the predictive role of inhibitory control and impulsivity on Internet addiction. Moreover, mediation analyses were done to test whether ODD mediated the relationship between inhibitory control/impulsivity and Internet addiction. Results Both inhibitory control and impulsivity were significant predictors for Internet addiction in adolescents with ADHD + GD. In addition, inhibitory control and impulsivity had both direct and indirect effects via ODD on Internet addiction in adolescents with ADHD + GD. However, inhibitory control rather than impulsivity had indirect effects via ODD on Internet addiction in adolescents with ADHD. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrated that inhibitory control and impulsivity contributed to Internet addiction in adolescents with ADHD + GD. Furthermore, inhibitory control and impulsivity in two groups had different results in two models, suggesting different intervention strategies should be adopted for adolescents with ADHD and ADHD + GD.