12 June 2025. This week at the prestigious 19th ALBATROS Congress on 9-10-11 June, on Addiction Medicine in Paris, two leading scientists from the BootStRaP project — Professor Ornella Corazza and Professor Matthias Brand—presented their latest research on behavioural addictions, offering critical insights into the psychological and neurobiological dimensions of this growing public health concern.
Prof. Ornella Corazza (University of Trento, Italy) delivered a presentation titled “When Social Media Becomes Addictive: Psychological and Clinical Implications.” In her talk, Prof. Corazza challenged the audience by asking, “Do growing bans on social media really work?” Her presentation explored how social media platforms, while offering connection and self-expression, can also lead to serious health risks such as body image disorders, depression, anxiety, and substance use. Drawing on the latest clinical research, she emphasized the urgent need for prevention strategies and interventions, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Prof. Matthias Brand (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) presented on “Psychological and Neurobiological Mechanisms of Behavioral Addictions.” His session focused on disorders such as gaming, gambling, compulsive shopping, and problematic social media use. He introduced the I-PACE model, a cutting-edge theoretical framework that explains how emotional, cognitive, and neural processes interact in the development of behavioral addictions. His findings underscore the importance of cognitive-behavioral therapy and emerging neuromodulation techniques in treatment.
Both presenters emphasised the need to approach addictive behaviours through a multidisciplinary lens—spanning research, clinical practice, training, and policy-making. Their participation contributed to the broader scientific dialogue at the congress, which brought together experts from various disciplines to examine the complex factors influencing addiction in today’s world.
About conference: https://congresalbatros.org/
Programme: https://congresalbatros.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025_CONGRESS-BOOK-1.pdf
