Understanding the lives of problem gamers: The meaning, purpose, and influences of video gaming

Interaction Effects Between Low Self-Control and Meaning in Life on Internet Gaming Disorder Symptoms and Functioning in Chinese Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Latent Moderated Structural Equation Modeling Study

BACKGROUND

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an emerging behavioral addiction with mental health implications among adolescents. Low self-control is an established risk factor of IGD. Few studies have, however, examined the moderating role of meaning in life (MIL) on the relationships between low self-control and IGD symptoms and functioning.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the effects of low self-control and MIL and their interaction effects on IGD symptoms and family and school functioning in a structural equation model.

METHODS

A sample of 2064 adolescents (967, 46.9% male; mean age 14.6 years) was recruited by multistage cluster random sampling from 5 middle schools in Sichuan, China, in 2022. The participants completed a self-report questionnaire with validated measures on low self-control, presence of MIL, search for MIL, IGD symptoms, school commitment, and family functioning. Construct validity, measurement invariance, and structural invariance of the measures were evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis across sex. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the indirect effects of low self-control and MIL on family and school functioning through IGD symptoms. Latent moderated structural equation modeling was performed to examine the interaction effects between low self-control and MIL on IGD symptoms, school commitment, and family functioning.

RESULTS

All scales showed satisfactory model fit and scalar measurement invariance by sex. Males showed significantly greater IGD symptoms and lower levels of self-control (Cohen d=0.25-1.20, P<.001) than females. IGD symptoms were significantly and positively associated with impulsivity (β=.20, P=.01), temper (β=.25, P<.001), and search for meaning (β=.11, P=.048) and significantly and negatively associated with presence of meaning (β=-.21, P<.001). Presence of MIL and impulsivity showed a significant and negative interaction effect (β=-.11, SE .05; P=.03) on IGD symptoms. The positive effect of impulsivity on IGD symptoms was stronger among adolescents with low presence of MIL than those with high presence of MIL. Temper showed significant and positive interaction effects with presence of MIL (β=.08, SE .04; P=.03) and search for MIL (β=.08, SE .04; P=.04) on family functioning. The negative effects of temper on family functioning were stronger among adolescents with low levels of MIL than among those with high levels of MIL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first findings on the interaction effects between low self-control and presence of MIL and search for MIL on IGD symptoms and functioning among a large sample of adolescents in rural China. The results have implications for targeted interventions to help male adolescents with lower self-control and presence of meaning.

Screened realities: a Grounded Theory exploration of gaming disorder dynamics among Iranian male adolescents

Introduction

The increasing prevalence of gaming Disorder (GD) among adolescents has become a global concern. Despite the rising number of studies investigating GD, the cultural and socio-economic factors influencing GD with a qualitative approach are scarce. This study aims to explore the underlying factors, processes, and consequences of GD among Iranian male adolescents and contextual factors related to GD within Iran's unique socio-cultural and psychological tapestry.

Methods

The study used a qualitative design based on the Grounded Theory Method (GTM). The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 male adolescents aged 15-18 who Dignasoed according to DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the GTM approach, which involves open, axial, and selective coding.

Results

The study revealed nine main themes and a core category: (1) interaction seeking, (2) encounter and familiarize with games, (3) games attraction, (4) Socialization, (5) game careerism, (6) dexterity, (7) lack and compensation, (8) physical harm, territorial-cultural barrier, (9) second life, and ''life crafting'' as the core category.

Discussion

The study's findings provide valuable insights into the cultural and socio-economic factors influencing GD among Iranian male adolescents. For example, Iran's economic conditions make adolescents choose gaming as their job and try to earn money in this way, which makes them more dependent on gaming. On the other hand, communities related to games play an essential role in the identity development of adolescents with GD.

Social norms and problematic gaming among adolescents: The role of Internet use coping motives

INTRODUCTION

Problematic gaming (PG) is a public health issue among adolescents worldwide. Although several studies have documented that peer influences constitute a relevant risk factor for adolescent problematic behaviors, little research is currently available on PG. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of social norms and perceived friends' gaming frequency on participants' own gaming frequency and PG, by testing potential differences among groups with low vs. high motive to use the Internet (e.g., online gaming) as a coping strategy.

METHOD

A survey was administered to 470 adolescent gamers (mean age = 15.49 years; SD = 1.05 years; 77.9 % males). A theoretical model was tested through path analysis and multi-group comparisons were performed.

RESULTS

Path analysis revealed that social norms and perceived friends' gaming frequency were positively associated to participants' gaming behaviors and PG. Additionally, different patterns between groups emerged.

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirmed the relative importance of peer influences on adolescents' gaming behaviors and PG and showed that adolescents who rely more on online gaming to cope with negative affect may be more vulnerable to social influence processes than other peers. These findings may provide useful indications for prevention programs targeting adolescent PG.

Operationalization and measurement of compulsivity across video gaming and gambling behavioral domains

BACKGROUND

Compulsivity is the hallmark of addiction progression and, as a construct, has played an important role in unveiling the etiological pathways from learning mechanisms underlying addictive behavior to harms resulting from it. However, a sound use of the compulsivity construct in the field of behavioral addictions has been hindered to date by the lack of consensus regarding its definition and measurement. Here we capitalize on a previous systematic review and expert appraisal to develop a compulsivity scale for candidate behavioral addictions (the Granada Assessment for Cross-domain Compulsivity, GRACC).

METHODS

The initial scale (GRACC90) consisted of 90 items comprising previously proposed operationalizations of compulsivity, and was validated in two panel samples of individuals regularly engaging in gambling and video gaming, using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and convergence analyses.

RESULTS

The GRACC90 scale is unidimensional and structurally invariant across samples, and predicted severity of symptoms, lower quality of life, and negative affect, to similar degrees in the two samples. Additionally, poorer quality of life and negative affect were comparably predicted by compulsivity and by severity of symptoms. A shorter version of the scale (GRACC18) is proposed, based on selecting the 18 items with highest factor loadings.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support the proposal that core symptoms of behavioral addictions strongly overlap with compulsivity, and peripheral symptoms are not essential for their conceptualization. Further research should clarify the etiology of compulsive behavior, and whether pathways to compulsivity in behavioral addictions could be common or different across domains.

The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming

Whether gaming has a beneficial or detrimental effect on young people's lives is a defining feature in both the research and the public discussion of youth digital gaming. In this qualitative study, we draw from a thematic analysis of the experiences of 180 game players in Finland, aged 15-25 years. Utilizing the digital gaming relationship (DGR) theory, we explore how different aspects of gaming actualize in their lives, and how different features of gaming culture participation come together to form their experience. We contend that framing gaming as a balancing act between beneficial and detrimental obscures much of the complexity of young people's gaming, reinforces a partially false dichotomy, and overlooks young people's agency. Based on our results, we suggest alternative approaches that help reduce and avoid these problems.

Is internet gaming disorder associated with suicidal behaviors among the younger generation? Multiple logistic regressions on a large-scale purposive sampling survey

The ubiquity of Internet gaming as part of the younger generation's (11-35 year-olds) lifestyle to-day warrants a deeper understanding of its impact on their mental health. In particular, there has been scant research investigating the link between Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and suicidal behaviors in this demographic group, even though several mental health symptoms of the former are known risk factors for the latter. This paper aims to establish the presence or absence of association between IGD and each of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempt among the younger generation. A large-scale online survey on Internet gamers in Hong Kong was conducted in February 2019. 3430 respondents were recruited through purposive sampling. Study samples were stratified into distinct age groups and multiple logistic regression was conducted for each measured suicidal behavior in each age group. After controlling for sociodemographics, Internet usage, self-reported bullying perpetration and bullying victimization, social withdrawal, and self-reported psychiatric diagnoses such as depression and psychosis, analyses revealed that adolescent (11-17 year-old) gamers with IGD were more likely than their peers who had no IGD to have had suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempt in their lifetime. These associations did not hold for 18-35 year-old gamers. Findings suggest that it may be prudent to recognize IGD as a growing public mental health priority for the young populace, particularly adolescents. Existing suicide prevention efforts can be complemented through screening adolescents for IGD, and could be expanded to online gaming platforms to reach more hidden at-risk individuals.

Importance of Social Videogaming for Connection with Others During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study focused on the importance of social videogame play for remaining connected to others early in the COVID-19 pandemic. While social isolation and loneliness negatively affect well-being, social interaction is important for positive outcomes. During the pandemic, online videogame play has offered a safe outlet for socialization. Participants (n = 45) completed a survey rating the importance of gaming for feeling connected to family, friends, and co-workers, before, during, and after stay-at-home orders. As expected, the results indicate that social videogame play and its importance increased significantly during the stay-at-home period and decreased afterward. The importance of gaming with friends and co-workers increased significantly during the stay-at-home period but did not decrease significantly afterward. Social gaming was more important for remaining connected with friends and co-workers than family. Participants likely had more direct interaction with family members, while more effort was necessary to maintain contact with non-family members.

Reinforcing Relationships Between Gaming Disorder and Aggression and Intrusive Parenting Across 4 Years

Adolescent gaming disorder is associated with aggressive tendencies and parenting styles; however, few studies have examined the reinforcing spiral patterns between aggression or intrusive parenting and long-term gaming disorder across several years. Thus, we investigated the reciprocal relationships between aggression and gaming disorder and between intrusive parenting and gaming disorder among Korean adolescents (n = 801, mean age at T1 = 13.39 years old) using an annual five-wave longitudinal study design. The results of the autoregressive cross-lagged analyses showed that gaming disorder and aggression were reinforced across 4 years (five waves) among male adolescents. However, these reinforcing spiral effects were not found in female adolescents. More intrusive parenting showed reinforcing patterns with more gaming disorder in both male and female adolescents in early-to-middle adolescence. These findings suggest that interventions for gaming disorder need to involve monitoring the ways in which gaming disorder and adolescents' aggression affect each other in addition to regulating parents' degree of control.

Developing Personas of Gamers with Problematic Gaming Behavior among College Students Based on Qualitative Data of Gaming Motives and Push-Pull-Mooring

Gaming is a popular but possibly problematic activity among college students. To distinguish gamers with potential problematic gaming behaviors (PGB) is crucial to mental health staff. Two studies were conducted that aimed to explore portraits of gamers with PGB in college campuses. The first study selected 20 college students, diagnosed with problematic gaming behaviors, from a longitudinal dataset and semi-structured interviews were conducted for a systematic description of long-term PGB. The second study selected four personas with the richest coding data of internet addiction and depression from 20 gamers. The profiles and life experiences of the personas showed changing processes of gaming motives and push-pull-mooring effects across the years. "Loss of purpose in life" and "desperate to escape from stress or boredom in the real world" were the important push effects. Mooring effects revealed their addiction or depression symptoms and the process of developing the addiction. The dynamics of "push", "pull", and "mooring" effects were clearly indicated in the results suggesting PGB might be a long-term coping strategy and a consequence of depression and loneliness. Dealing with depression and finding real-life goals could help PGB gamers to change the dynamics of their gaming motives and push-pull-mooring effects. The results may help develop interventions for gamers with problematic gaming behaviors.

Psychological treatments for excessive gaming: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite widespread public interest in problematic gaming interventions, questions regarding the empirical status of treatment efficacy persist. We conducted pairwise and network meta-analyses based on 17 psychological intervention studies on excessive gaming (n = 745 participants). The pairwise meta-analysis showed that psychological interventions reduce excessive gaming more than the inactive control (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27 to 2.12) and active control (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.56). The network meta-analysis showed that a combined treatment of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness was the most effective intervention in reducing excessive gaming, followed by a combined CBT and Family intervention, Mindfulness, and then CBT as a standalone treatment. Due to the limited number of included studies and resulting identified methodological concerns, the current results should be interpreted as preliminary to help support future research focused on excessive gaming interventions. Recommendations for improving the methodological rigor are also discussed.

Research on the Impact of Pro-Environment Game and Guilt on Environmentally Sustainable Behaviour

Game strategies are widely used by companies to attract users and increase their stickiness. At the same time, the protection of the ecological environment is also an important expression of corporate social responsibility. This paper explores the integration of social responsibility with gaming strategies from the psychological perspective of game withdrawal, and explores the incorporation of social responsibility as an element in gamification design to reduce user withdrawal behaviour, thereby increasing individual's environmentally sustainable behaviour. We evidenced our hypothesis through two studies. Study one proved our hypothesis by recruiting 106 university undergraduates (from Wuhan University, mean age 20, of whom 47 were female and 59 were male) to prove our hypothesis by recalling previous experiences with different types of games. Study two further tested our hypothesis by manipulating participants' guilt through randomly recruiting 196 participants (mean age 35, of whom 88 were female and 108 were male, 35 of them were students, 107 were office workers and 54 were from other sectors) from different industries through the questionnaire research website Credamo. The findings show that incorporating social responsibility elements into the design of games can make users engage in pro-social behaviour while playing the game, and the guilt that users feel because of the game will be compensated by pro-social behaviour, thus reducing the game frequency and duration and improving the intent of pro-social behaviour. At the same time, players' self-control moderates the effect of guilt on game play volume under a socially responsible gamification design.

Eight Hypotheses on Technology Use and Psychosocial Wellbeing: A Bicultural Phenomenological Study of Gaming during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this nonconfirmatory qualitative study, we pursued a range of hypotheses regarding how gaming operates in the lives and psychosocial wellbeing of those who actively play videogames during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Informed by an explorative survey (N = 793), interpretive phenomenological analysis was applied to interview data from actively gaming Chinese (n = 10) and Finnish (n = 10) participants. Our findings demonstrate how the general increase of pandemic-time gaming did not manifest in all player groups, but in some life contexts gaming activity rather decreased along with reformations in subjective meaning hierarchies and values. Ultimately, eight subordinate themes were refined into testable hypotheses. The study encourages policies that promote socially supportive gaming during pandemic-like situations to consider including personally meaningful solitary play in their recommendations and highlighting context-specificity over generalization. Finally, as almost all our data points echoing experiences of decreasing gaming activity came from China, we stress the importance of culturally diverse samples in the psychological study of global phenomena.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03586-x.

Interpersonal Guilt and Problematic Online Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

OBJECTIVE

The positive association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and emotion dysregulation (ED) is well documented. Research has also found that interpersonal guilt is positively associated with ED. Nevertheless, the influence of interpersonal guilt on PIU has been scarcely examined. In the current study, we investigated the relationships among the three constructs, and tested if emotion dysregulation mediates the association between interpersonal guilt and different types of PIU, namely problematic online gaming, problematic social media use, and problematic online pornography use.

METHOD

A sample of 434 adult participants (210 males, 48.4%) aged between 18 and 69 years old completed self-reported measures on interpersonal guilt, ED, and PIU. A structural equation modeling (SEM) framework was used to test the mediation models.

RESULTS

SEM analyses showed that ED mediates the relationship between interpersonal guilt as antecedent, and problematic online gaming, problematic social media use, and problematic online pornography use as outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that emotion dysregulation deriving from experiences of interpersonal guilt can amplify the risk of using gaming, social media, and online pornography in a problematic way. Implications for prevention and treatment of PIU are discussed.

Systematic literature review online gaming addiction among children and young adults: A framework and research agenda

Online gaming addiction refers to a persistent and recurrent use of internet to engage in games leading to significant impairment or distress in a person's life. With the current pandemic, media reports suggest that the greater access of online devices among children and young adults has intensified online gaming addiction. However, the domain of online gaming addiction is a relatively new phenomenon with disparate studies examining various facets of it. Hence, the purpose of this research is to analyze the existing literature in order to identify the emerging trends in this area and to provide a systematic review that can be used as guidance for future research in this emerging field. Starting from the gaps that this review highlights, the proposed directions will help scholars find issues and gaps not sufficiently explored that can constitute the bases for further research pathways.

Development of and User Feedback on a Board and Online Game to Educate on Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly antibiotic resistance, is one of the most challenging global health threats of our time. Tackling AMR requires a multidisciplinary approach. Whether a clinical team member is a cleaner, nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or other type of health worker, their contribution towards keeping patients safe from infection is crucial to saving lives. Existing literature portrays that games can be a good way to engage communities in joint learning. This manuscript describes an educational antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) game that was co-created by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals spanning across high- and low- to middle-income countries. The online AMS game was promoted and over 100 players across 23 countries registered to participate on 2 occasions. The players were asked to share feedback on the game through a short online form. Their experiences revealed that the game is relevant for creation of awareness and understanding on antimicrobial stewardship in both high- and low-to-middle income settings worldwide.

Psychometric evaluation of the Russian version of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents

Problematic gaming has become an emerging global health issue. Formal recognition of gaming disorder in the ICD-11 is a new opportunity for the discipline to conduct further investigation concerning the psychological consequences of problematic gaming. The present study investigated the psychometric properties and construct structure of the recently developed Gaming Disorder for Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A), a multi-dimensional instrument that screens for gaming disorder symptoms, among Russian adolescent gamers. The sample comprised 933 adolescent gamers (547 boys and 386 girls) recruited via a web-based platform, using a multistage sampling method. Analysis showed the GADIS-A had very good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = .891; Composite reliability = .89) and adequate test-retest reliability after two weeks (intraclass coefficient  =0.68 with 95% CI [0.61, 0.77]. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) showed the data fitted well. Measurement invariance testing indicated the GADIS-A was invariant by gender and gaming medium (online vs. offline). As for criterion-related validity, high scores on the GADIS-A positively correlated with scales assessing depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and difficulties in emotion regulation, and negatively correlated with social connectedness and life satisfaction. Using latent profile analysis, four groups of gamers were identified, and problematic gaming was associated with greater mental health problems. The findings indicated that psychological comorbidity (e.g., depression and anxiety) was more prevalent among gamers with higher risk of GD. The findings indicate that GADIS-A is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the symptoms and severity of gaming disorder among Russian adolescents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02575-w.

Research Directions in the Study of Gaming-Related Escapism: a Commentary to Melodia, Canale, and Griffiths (2020)

Escapism motivations and related processes (e.g., avoidance, dissociation, relaxation, and emotion dysregulation) have been identified as risk factors for problematic gaming. However, the escapism construct has often been poorly conceptualized and operationalized in assessment instruments. In their systematic review, Melodia et al. (2020) proposed that conceptualizing escapism as an avoidant coping strategy could provide a sound basis for further study of problematic gaming. In this commentary, we critically examine some terminological and conceptual issues in relation to escapism to guide future research.

Video Game Addictive Symptom Level, Use Intensity, and Hedonic Experience: An Empirical Analysis of a Novel Survey Instrument (Preprint)

Background

The effects of behavioral addiction to video games has received increasing attention in the literature, given increased use intensity among subgroups of video game players.

Objective

This study seeks to empirically determine the relationship between intensity of video gaming and hedonic experience of the player.

Methods

We conducted a survey of 835 individuals who regularly play video games to determine the relationship between intensity of use and hedonic experience. We divided the sample into quartiles by self-reported video game addictive symptom level (from the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale) and conducted polynomial regressions separately for each quartile.

Results

We found that the higher video game addictive symptom level groups experienced a U-shaped (curvilinear) relationship between hedonic experience and intensity of play, whereas groups with lower video game addictive symptom levels exhibited no such relationship. The coefficients for the highest addictive symptom level group (quartile 4) for marginal effects for hours played per week and hours played per week squared were significantly negative (P=.005) and significantly positive (P=.004), respectively.

Conclusions

Our results are consistent with sensitization and tolerance theories, which suggest that high-symptom groups experience frustration and disappointment until they achieve excessive dopamine release, at which point their hedonic experience is expected to improve with additional play. Conversely, low-symptom groups experience no such fall-and-rise pattern. This result is consistent with the outcome that members of the latter group play the game for the direct experience, such that their hedonic experience is more directly related to events occurring in the game than to the increasingly elusive pursuit of excessive dopamine release. We also find that high-symptom groups spend substantially more time and money to support video game use and are much more likely to engage in video game use at the expense of other important activities, such as working, sleeping, and eating.

Prevention Strategies to Address Problematic Gaming: An Evaluation of Strategy Support Among Habitual and Problem Gamers

Psychosocial problems arising from excessive gaming are a public health issue across the developed world. In its most serious form, problematic gaming is recognized as gaming disorder (GD) in the ICD-11. Research has tended to focus on the value of outpatient treatment for GD, but less attention has been paid to broader prevention strategies to address less serious but nevertheless harmful gaming behaviors. Another gap in this literature has been the lack of involvement of the gaming community as stakeholders to identify feasible prevention approaches. This study investigated: (1) regular and problematic gamers' level of support for different prevention strategies within primary, secondary, and tertiary approaches; and, (2) whether self-efficacy is associated with greater support for prevention strategies, as predicted by the Health Belief Model. A total of 992 participants completed an online survey that evaluated support for problem gaming prevention strategies and included measures of self-efficacy, gaming involvement, and GD symptoms, psychological distress, and mental health help-seeking behaviors. Participants reported stronger support for primary prevention strategies, including education, screening, and warning labels, than for other prevention approaches. Overall, 61% of participants expressed support for primary prevention as compared to secondary (39%) and tertiary (36%) approaches. There was stronger support for outpatient care (48%) than inpatient services (25%). In-game shutdown features received the lowest support (65% disapproval). Contrary to the Health Belief Model, self-efficacy was not associated with prevention support. Younger, female, and less frequent gamers were more likely to support primary and secondary prevention strategies. These findings suggest that gamers may be more favorable toward prevention measures aligned with informed decision-making, autonomy, and self-directed actions. Gamers may be strongly opposed to modifications to the structure of gaming activities (e.g., shutdown features). Future research should evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of problem gaming prevention measures in different populations and regions.

Depression and anxiety symptoms associated with internet gaming disorder before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted aspects of human life globally. Playing videogames has been encouraged by several organizations to help individuals cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures. This longitudinal study was the first to examine gaming in the context of the pandemic and its association with depressive and anxiety symptoms.

METHODS

The sample comprised 1,778 children and adolescents (50.7% male) who were part of the Project of School Mental Health in Southwest China. Data were collected at two-time intervals: before the COVID-19 pandemic (October to November 2019 - [T1]) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (April to May 2020 - [T2]). Data were collected on perceived COVID-19 impacts, videogame use, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Cross-lagged panel models were computed to examine longitudinal relationships.

RESULTS

The results indicated that both videogame use and IGD increased significantly for adolescents at T2. The cross-lagged panel model results suggested that depressive and anxiety symptoms at T1 positively predicted IGD and videogame use at T2 (especially for boys), but not inversely. Perceived COVID-19 impacts mediated the relationship between depressive and anxiety symptoms at T1 and IGD at T2.

CONCLUSION

Children and adolescents both increased videogame use at T2, but only adolescents significantly increased IGD severity at T2. The findings supported the compensatory hypothesis, and are consistent with the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model as individual responses to COVID-19 may function as a mediator between personal predisposing variables and IGD.

Video Game Streaming in Young People and Teenagers: Uptake, User Groups, Dangers, and Opportunities

In recent years, live video streaming platforms for video games have been gaining popularity. These types of services, which enable anyone to broadcast and consume live content, are revolutionising the current video game landscape. Users approach the emergence of and participation in these platforms driven by a range of motivations. It is essential to characterise the different forms of participation in services such as Twitch to evaluate the phenomenon and reflect on its advantages and disadvantages. To that end, a survey was carried out of 580 young people and adolescents aged between 14 and 24. The aim of this study is thus to explore the uptake of these platforms, as well as identify user groups, distinguish between different motivations, and address the associated benefits and harms. Applying a methodology based on factor analysis and cluster analysis, user profiles were characterised according to their specific features, gaming/viewing hours, self-perception of their skill level as a player, devices used, and type or genre of video game. Four subgroups of gamers/viewers were thus identified: casual, social, hobby, and problematic. The results showed that older users and female users feature more prominently in the first two groups, as do those spending less time on video games and live streaming platforms. Conversely, in the hobby and problematic groups, we observe just the opposite. The existence of profiles at possible risk of addiction underlines how, at a preventive level, there is a need for more in-depth research on these types of services and greater public awareness of the dangers of uncontrolled use.

Expanding on the multidisciplinary stakeholder framework to minimize harms for problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies. •

As new types of problematic behaviors and new forms of online risk-taking emerge, forming collaborative relationships while understanding complexities of motivations may help to promote harm reduction and intervention. While it may be too early to form a stakeholder framework without first conceptually understanding the problematic behaviors involved, we attempt to build upon a proposed multidisciplinary stakeholder framework to minimize harms for problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies. We propose an expansion of roles for individual stakeholders and an expansion of proposed roles for family stakeholders to include partner/spouses, others living in the household, and/or those with close relationships with individuals who are experiencing problems. Empowering individuals who use emerging technologies through participatory action research and knowledge translation/dissemination may lead to improvements in the quality of research and a greater impact on policy and practice. Also, we discuss benefits of industry self-regulation and collaboration on data-sharing practices. We recommend approaches to promote global collaboration with a larger group of relevant stakeholders (including but not limited to individual consumers of technology, families, communities, treatment and welfare providers, researchers, industries, and governments) to address protection of vulnerable populations and reduce harms for users of rapidly advancing technologies.

Contextualising video game engagement and addiction in mental health: the mediating roles of coping and social support

INTRODUCTION

A challenge in defining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is discriminating pathological gameplay from an excessive, yet benign, involvement in video games. Although previous research has explored this theoretical distinction in the context of general computing activities, it merits consideration with regards to online gaming. Additionally, whilst comorbidities of addicted gaming and mental health outcomes have been robustly demonstrated, few studies have examined the role of mediating factors that may contextualise this relationship. As such, the present study aims to validate the distinction between addiction and engagement in online gaming, by considering the mediating roles of coping and social online and offline support in mental health.

METHOD

One hundred and thirty-five participants completed the Computer Engagement/Addiction Questionnaire (CEAS), Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21), Brief Approach-Avoidance Coping Questionnaire (BACQ) and two versions of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

RESULTS

Correlational analyses showed a clear distinction between gaming addiction and engagement in the context of all of depression, stress and in particular anxiety (DAS) not found in previous studies. Multiple mediation analysis showed a significant mediating effect of coping, (specifically withdrawal/resignation coping) on the relationship between video game addiction and symptoms of DAS. Offline perceived social support was a significant partial mediator in the relationship between gaming addiction and depression, as compared to any kind of online social support. The results support the distinction of the addiction and engagement concepts in gaming. This study may inform future clinical classifications of IGD, with implications on how pathological gaming is treated.

Gaming disorder: what doctors need to know

Playing video games (online or offline) is not a recent phenomenon and for most people it is a leisure activity with no adverse consequences whatsoever. However, for a small minority, gaming has the potential (akin to substance use) to lead on to problematic gaming and gaming disorder. Gaming disorder is a new entry in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases. Given gaming's ever-growing popularity, GPs, psychiatrists and other doctors will be increasingly likely to come across individuals who present with gaming-related problems. Consequently, this article gives doctors a basic understanding of what gaming disorder is, its presentations in practice and diagnosis, and its treatment.

A Perspective on Age Restrictions and Other Harm Reduction Approaches Targeting Youth Online Gambling, Considering Convergences of Gambling and Videogaming

Internet gambling has become a popular activity among some youth. Vulnerable youth may be particularly at risk due to limited harm reduction and enforcement measures. This article explores age restrictions and other harm reduction measures relating to youth and young adult online gambling. A systematic rapid review was conducted by searching eight databases. Additional articles on online gambling (e.g., from references) were later included. To place this perspective into context, articles on adult gambling, land-based gambling, and substance use and other problematic behaviors were also considered. Several studies show promising findings for legally restricting youth from gambling in that such restrictions may reduce the amount of youth gambling and gambling-related harms. However, simply labeling an activity as "age-restricted" may not deter youth from gambling; in some instances, it may generate increased appeal for gambling. Therefore, advertising and warning labels should be examined in conjunction with age restrictions. Recommendations for age enforcement strategies, advertising, education, and warning labels are made to help multiple stakeholders including policymakers and public health officials internationally. Age restrictions in online gambling should consider multiple populations including youth and young adults. Prevention and harm reduction in gambling should examine how age-restriction strategies may affect problem gambling and how they may be best enforced across gambling platforms. More research is needed to protect youth with respect to online gambling.

Online gaming and gaming disorder: more than just a trivial pursuit

Gaming disorder is set to be included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems alongside other behavioural addictions (gambling disorder) and substance-related addictions. Given the popularity of online gaming, this is set to become an increasingly common presentation to general mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and general practitioners. This article briefly examines online gaming and describes the characteristics of gaming disorder. Some features of online gaming that have addictive potential and similarities to other addictive behaviours such as gambling disorder are discussed. Finally, the article examines treatment options available for gaming disorder and treatment going forward from an Irish perspective.