Correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a national wide sample of Korean adults

Association between urbanization and Internet addiction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Understanding the association between urbanization and Internet addiction is essential to the design and implementation of Internet addiction prevention measures in urban areas. This epidemiological review explores the urbanization-Internet addiction association and its potential underlying factors.

RECENT FINDINGS

Nine studies have reported that Internet addiction prevalence is higher in urban areas, but three studies have noted the opposite. Psychiatric disorders and stress are the most commonly mentioned factors underlying the association. The effects of urbanization on Internet availability, Internet cafes, online gaming, outdoor or interactive activities, and family regulation and monitoring have been suggested to lead to higher Internet addiction risk. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, obesity, sleep problems, and the migration of parents to urban areas in search of work have strengthened the effect of urbanization on Internet addiction.

SUMMARY

Early assessment and treatment provided by mental health services are crucial for mitigating the effect of urbanization on Internet addiction risk. Cities should be designed to provide adequate space for physical and interactive activities. To promote outdoor activities, air pollution, traffic congestion, and crime should be controlled. Prospective face-to-face studies involving analysis of data on pollution, traffic, and Internet addiction could provide evidence to elucidate the urbanization- Internet addiction association.

Adverse childhood experiences, dissociation, and anxious attachment style as risk factors of gaming disorder

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), attachment styles, dissociation, and symptoms of gaming disorder (GD). Methods: The total sample of the survey was 1288 gamers who completed a set of questionnaires via the Internet; they included questions on ACEs, attachment styles (anxious and avoidance styles in intimate relationships), symptoms of dissociation, and GD. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the detailed relationships between variables.

RESULTS

In the hypothesized model, ACEs, dissociation, and the scales of avoidance and anxiety were considered predictors of gaming disorder. Only the avoidance subscale proved to be statistically insignificant; the model without this variable fit the data and had good psychometric properties.

CONCLUSIONS

To conclude, this study showed a link between adverse childhood experiences, dissociation, and anxiety experienced in relationships as significant risk factors for symptoms of gaming disorder.

Laxer Clinical Criteria for Gaming Disorder May Hinder Future Efforts to Devise an Efficient Diagnostic Approach: A Tree-Based Model Study

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized in May 2013 and can be evaluated using the criteria developed by American Psychiatric Association (APA). The present study investigated the role each IGD criteria plays in diagnosing disordered gaming. A total of 3377 participants (mean age 20 years, SD = 4.3 years) participated in the study. The data collected was scrutinized to detect patterns of IGD using Conditional Inference Tree (Ctree), a sophisticated machine algorithm. Participants provided basic sociodemographic information and completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). The results identified classes of IGD-related symptoms, indicating that endorsing ‘withdrawal’ and ‘loss of control’ increases the probability of disordered gaming by 77.77% while endorsement of ‘withdrawal’, ‘loss of control’ and ‘negative consequences’ increases the probability of disordered gaming by 26.66%. Moreover, lack of endorsement of ‘withdrawal’ and endorsement of ‘preoccupation’ increases the likelihood of disordered gaming by 7.14%. Taken together, the results obtained illustrate that different IGD criteria can present with different clinical weighing as unique diagnostic roles in the development of disordered gaming can be evidenced by each criterion. Moreover, the present findings help inform future revisions of diagnostic manuals and helps enhancing the assessment of IGD in the future. Additional research and clinical implications are discussed.

Psychopathological Symptoms and Gaming Motives in Disordered Gaming-A Psychometric Comparison between the WHO and APA Diagnostic Frameworks

BACKGROUND

'Gaming Disorder' (GD) has received increased medical attention and official recognition from both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Although these two medical organizations have independently developed promising clinical diagnostic frameworks to assess disordered gaming, little is known about how these frameworks compare at different psychometric levels in terms of producing consistent outcomes in the assessment of GD.

METHODS

A sample of 1429 German gamers (Meanage = 29.74 years; SD = 12.37 years) completed an online survey including measures on different psychopathological symptoms (depression, loneliness and attention problems), gaming motives and disordered gaming according to the WHO and APA frameworks.

RESULTS

The findings suggest the existence of minor discrepancies in the estimation of prevalence rates of GD according among the two frameworks. Nevertheless, both diagnostic frameworks are fairly consistent in the psychometric prediction of GD in relation to gaming motives and psychopathological symptoms. The findings underscore the role of key gaming motives as risk factors and protective factors across both diagnostic frameworks. Finally, the study provides support for the WHO diagnostic framework for GD and its measurement with the German Gaming Disorder Test (GDT). The findings and their implications are further discussed in terms of clinical relevance.

Psychometric assessment of the Internet Gaming Disorder diagnostic criteria: An Item Response Theory study

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) as a tentative disorder in the latest fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In order to advance research on IGD, the APA has suggested that further research on the nine IGD criteria to investigate its clinical and empirical feasibility is necessary. The aim of the present study was to develop the Polish the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) and scrutinize the nine IGD criteria empirically. To achieve this, the newly developed IGDS9-SF was examined using a wide range of psychometric methods, including a polytomous Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis to evaluate the measurement performance of the nine IGD criteria. A sample of 3377 gamers (82.7% male, mean age 20 years, SD = 4.3 years) was recruited online for the present study. Overall, the findings obtained confirmed that suitability of the Polish IGDS9-SF to assess IGD amongst Polish gamers given the adequate levels of validity and reliability found. The IRT analysis revealed that the IGDS9-SF is a suitable tool to measure IGD levels above the average; however, criteria “continuation” (item 6), “deception” (item 7), and “escape” (item 8) presented with poor fit. Taken together, these results suggest that some of the diagnostic criteria may present with a different clinical weighting towards final diagnosis of IGD. The implications of these findings are further discussed.

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The APA diagnostic criteria for IGD was investigated in a large sample of gamers.

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The construct of IGD was examined via validity analysis and Item Response Theory.

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The results revealed the suitability of the IGDS9-SF to assess IGD-related symptoms.

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Each IGD criterion present with distinct clinical diagnostic weighting.

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The nine IGD criteria need to take into account different clinical weighting.

Internet and Video Game Addictions: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Neurobiology

In the past 2 decades, there has been substantial increase in availability and use of digital technologies, including the Internet, computer games, smart phones, and social media. Behavioral addiction to use of technologies spawned a body of related research. The recent inclusion of Internet gaming disorder as a condition for further study in the DSM-V invigorated a new wave of researchers, thereby expanding our understanding of these conditions. This article reviews current research, theory, and practice regarding the diagnosis, epidemiology, and neurobiology of Internet and video game addictions.

Comparing the Effects of Bupropion and Escitalopram on Excessive Internet Game Play in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Objective

Several studies have suggested the efficacy of bupropion and escitalopram on reducing the excessive internet game play. We hypothesized that both bupropion and escitalopram would be effective on reducing the severity of depressive symptoms and internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms in patients with both major depressive disorder and IGD. However, the changes in brain connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and the salience network were different between bupropion and escitalopram due to their different pharmacodynamics.

Methods

This study was designed as a 12-week double blind prospective trial. Thirty patients were recruited for this research (15 bupropion group+15 escitalopram group). To assess the differential functional connectivity (FC) between the hubs of the DMN and the salience network, we selected 12 regions from the automated anatomical labeling in PickAtals software.

Results

After drug treatment, the depressive symptoms and IGD symptoms in both groups were improved. Impulsivity and attentional symptoms in the bupropion group were significantly decreased, compared to the escitalopram group. After treatment, FC within only the DMN in escitalopram decreased while FC between DMN and salience network in bupropion group decreased. Bupropion was associated with significantly decreased FC within the salience network and between the salience network and the DMN, compared to escitalopram.

Conclusion

Bupropion showed greater effects than escitalopram on reducing impulsivity and attentional symptoms. Decreased brain connectivity between the salience network and the DMN appears to be associated with improved excessive IGD symptoms and impulsivity in MDD patients with IGD.

Video game addiction and psychological distress among expatriate adolescents in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Few studies have estimated screen time among Arab adolescents, and no studies, to date, have published data on addiction to video games or Internet games among Arab adolescents. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of addiction to video games and its correlation with mental health in a sample of expatriate high school students from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods

The survey was conducted in 2016 among 276 students enrolled in ninth through twelfth grades in the International Schools in Buraidah, Al-Qassim. Students who returned signed consent forms from their parents filled out a self-administered questionnaire that included validated scales on addiction to video games, general health, and lifestyle.

Results

The proportion between the sexes and the schools were roughly equal. Around 32% were overweight or obese, 75% had screen time ≥ 2 h/day, and 20% slept < 5 h/night. Sixteen per cent (16%) were addicted to video games and 54% had psychological distress. Addiction to video games was strongly associated with psychological distress (OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.80, 9.47). Other significant correlates were female gender, higher screen time, and shorter sleep hours.

Conclusions

The proportion of students with psychological distress was high. Future studies should investigate other potential correlates of distress such personal traits, family relations, and academic performance.

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Proportion of adolescents addicted to video games was 16%.

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Relationship between video game addiction and psychological distress was significant.

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Risk factors for distress included being female, fewer hours of sleep, and higher screen time.