Functional impairment, insight, and comparison between criteria for gaming disorder in the International Classification of Diseases, 11 Edition and internet gaming disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition

Comparing psychopathological symptoms, life satisfaction, and personality traits between the WHO and APA frameworks of gaming disorder symptoms: A psychometric investigation

INTRODUCTION

The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association and Gaming Disorder in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization requires consistent psychological measures for reliable estimates. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), and the Five-Item Gaming Disorder Test (GDT-5) and to compare the WHO and the APA frameworks of gaming disorder symptoms in terms of psychopathological symptoms, life satisfaction, and personality traits.

METHODS

A sample of 723 Swedish gamers was recruited (29.8% women, 68.3% men, 1.9% other, Mage = 29.50 years, SD = 8.91).

RESULTS

The results indicated notable differences regarding the estimated possible risk groups between the two frameworks. However, the association between gaming disorder symptoms and personality traits, life satisfaction, and psychopathological symptoms appeared consistent across the two frameworks. The results showed excellent psychometric properties in support of the one-factor model of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, including good reliability estimates (McDonald's omega) and evidence of construct validity. Additionally, the results demonstrated full gender and age measurement invariance of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, indicating that gaming disorder symptoms are measured equally across the subgroups.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate that the IGDT-10, GDT-5, and GDT are appropriate measures for assessing gaming disorder symptoms and facilitating future research in Sweden.

The Social Processes of Excessive Online Gaming Homophily: Peer Selection or Influence?

Adolescents who befriend online game using peers may be at risk for initiated and continued excessive game use (online gaming use homophily). The present article examined how adolescents' severity of online gaming use related to their friends' online gaming behavior bi-directionally across a semester (peer selection or peer influence effect). Students from two universities completed three waves of online surveys within four and a half months (N = 3079; 33.6% female; Mage = 19.16; SD = 0.97). Random-intercepts, Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) analyses revealed that peer selection and peer influence both promote online gaming use homophily in adolescents' friendship groups. Furthermore, participants were more likely to form new friendships with peers exhibiting similar online gaming behavior as their behavior, subsequently reinforcing their online gaming use behaviors within these relationships. These social processes may exhibit a time lag among girls, which needs to be confirmed through longer-term follow-up. In general, findings suggest that effective prevention programs targeting excessive online gaming should not only focus on promoting social influence skills but also consider the structure of peer environments.

Approach bias in individuals with Internet gaming disorder: Evidence from an event-related potential-based approach-avoid task

Individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) often exhibit an approach bias towards gaming cues compared to non-gaming cues. Although previous studies suggested a positive correlation between approach bias and the severity of game use, the neuropsychological mechanisms that underpin the automatic action tendencies remain largely unexplored. The present study measured event-related potentials (ERPs) in 22 IGD and 23 healthy control (HC) participants who met the inclusion criteria, both groups conducted the Stimulus-Response Compatibility task (SRC), with their ERPs recorded during the task. Results revealed that the IGD group showed a significantly larger approach bias towards gaming cues (avoidance versus approach reaction time) compared to the HC group. The amplitude of P300 significantly increased, whereas N100 significantly decreased for game-approach compared to game-avoid for IGD compared to HC participants. The findings suggested that the enhanced integrated motivational value under compatible conditions as well as increased stimulus-response conflicts under incompatible conditions may contribute to the approach bias in IGD individuals. Further investigation on the intervention is prompted through longitudinal studies.

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.

Measurement Invariance of the Lemmens Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-9 Across Age, Gender, and Respondents

Although Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has gained increased attention in scientific, clinical, and community contexts, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the best assessment tools (i.e., self-report or other reports) for assessing its symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate the reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of both versions (youth and parent) of The Lemmens Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-9. To achieve this goal, we recruited between June and October 2019 from five Romanian highschools a total of 697 adolescents (11-19 years old) and one of their parents (N = 391). The internal consistency was good in both versions of the instrument (α = 0.772 for the youth version and α = 0.781 for the parent version). Construct validity assessed through confirmatory factor analysis showed support for the one factor structure of the scales, while multigroup confirmatory factor analysis endorsed the invariance across age, gender, and respondents (i.e., parent vs. youth report). The current research identifies both IGD scales to be reliable and valid, arguing for their utility for assessing IGD symptomatology among adolescents. Implications for theory, assessment, and future directions are discussed.

Heterogeneity of gaming disorder: A clinically-based typology for developing personalized interventions

Background

The eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) defines the three key diagnostic criteria for gaming disorder (GD). These are loss of control over gaming, gaming as a priority over daily activities, and impaired functioning due to gaming. While this definition has implications for the prevention and treatment of GD, there is significant heterogeneity in the symptoms and etiology of GD among individuals, which results in different treatment needs. Cognitive control, emotional regulation, and reward sensitivity are three critical dimensions in the etiology model for GD. Aspects such as gender, comorbidity, motivation for gaming, stage or severity of GD, and risk factors all contribute to the heterogeneity of etiology among individuals with the disorder.

Method

On the basis of clinical symptoms and comorbidity characteristics among approximately 400 patients with gaming disorder, the present paper proposes a clinical typology of patients with GD based on the authors' clinical experience in treating individuals with GD.

Results

The findings indicated three common types of patients with GD: (i) impulsive male patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), (ii) dysphoria patients with dysfunctional coping skills, and (iii) isolated patients with social anxiety. The paper also discusses the presentation and treatment priority for these patients.

Conclusion

Personalized treatments for patients with GD should be developed to fit their individual needs. Future studies should examine the heterogeneity of GD and confirm these types, as well as obtain evidence-based information that can help in the development of personalized treatment. Treatment resources should be developed, and professionals should be trained to provide integrated individualized treatment.

Prevalence of problematic Internet use and problematic gaming in Spanish adolescents

Epidemiological studies on problematic Internet use and problematic gaming conducted so far have mainly been carried out with unrepresentative and self-selected convenience samples, resulting in unreliable prevalence rates. This study estimates the prevalence of problematic Internet use and problematic gaming in a large sample of Spanish adolescents (N = 41,507) and identifies risk and protective factors for these risky behaviours. Data were collected online using the Adolescent Problem Internet Use Scale and the Adolescent Gaming Addiction Scale. Using a cut-off approach with measurement instruments inspired by the DSM-5 framework, we found a prevalence of 33% for problematic Internet use and 3.1% for problematic gaming. With a more conservative approach inspired by the ICD-11 framework, prevalence rates decreased to 2.98% for problematic Internet use and 1.8% for problematic gaming. Female gender, higher parents' education, elevated Internet connection time, reporting being online after midnight and using the mobile phone in class predicted problematic Internet use; whereas male gender, "living situation" where families do not have a traditional structure or stable environment, elevated Internet connection time and reporting using the mobile phone in class predicted problematic gaming. A cut-off approach involving scales that recycle substance use criteria (as in the DSM-5) over-pathologize Internet use and gaming behaviours. In contrast, the ICD-11 approach seems to provide more realistic and reliable prevalence rates.

Discussing evidence on the components model of addiction. A commentary on Fournier et al. (2023)

Fournier and colleagues have recently examined whether the components model of addiction includes peripheral features of addiction not indicative of a disorder. The authors conducted factor analyses and network analyses of responses (N = 4,256) to the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Their results showed that a bidimensional solution best fitted the data and that two items examining salience and tolerance loaded on a factor not associated with symptoms of psychopathology signifying salience and tolerance as peripherical features of addiction to social media. A reanalysis of the data (focused on the internal structure of the scale) was believed necessary considering that previous studies consistently demonstrated the one-factor solution of the scale and that four independent samples were analysed as a single sample potentially limiting the results of the original study. Findings of the reanalyses of Fournier and colleagues' data provided additional support for a one-factor solution of the scale. Potential explanations of the findings and suggestions for future research were elaborated.