J Affect Disord. 2017 Aug 18;225:265-272. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045
Highlights
The current manuscript presents data with age, gender, and ethnic matched undergraduate college student video game addicts with healthy controls. Self-report measures of social, emotional, mental, and physical health were administered. Addicts displayed poorer overall health and female video game addicts displayed the poorest help. Video game addicts were also more likely to report internet pornography problematic use than non-addicts.
Abstract
Background
The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS) is a widely used measure of video game addiction, a pathology affecting a small percentage of all people who play video games. Emerging adult males are significantly more likely to be video game addicts. Few researchers have examined how people who qualify as video game addicts based on the IGDS compared to matched controls based on age, gender, race, and marital status.
Method
The current study compared IGDS video game addicts to matched non-addicts in terms of their mental, physical, social-emotional health using self-report, survey methods.
Results
Addicts had poorer mental health and cognitive functioning including poorer impulse control and ADHD symptoms compared to controls. Additionally, addicts displayed increased emotional difficulties including increased depression and anxiety, felt more socially isolated, and were more likely to display internet pornography pathological use symptoms. Female video game addicts were at unique risk for negative outcomes.
Limitations
The sample for this study was undergraduate college students and self-report measures were used.
Conclusions
Participants who met the IGDS criteria for video game addiction displayed poorer emotional, physical, mental, and social health, adding to the growing evidence that video game addictions are a valid phenomenon.
Keywords:
video game addiction, pathological gaming, emerging adults, internet gaming addiction
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