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After the epidemic of COVID-19 has been basically under control interiorly, China is under the situation of regular epidemic prevention and control. Hence a reflection on the problems about the risk of gaming disorder in the epidemic period can be helpful to mental health professionals who prevent and control gaming disorder. The authors clarified the improper publicity of the gaming industry and false media report, and also reviewed the trend of game using was rapidly rising and game market was rapidly expanding. Consequently, as the author addressed, the health risks due to excessive gaming patterns were increasing. This review also pointed out and analyzed some new trend of the expansion of female game users during the epidemic, and the further in-depth integration of games and gambling. Finally, some advice was provided to the mental health workers to cope with the increasing risk of gaming disorder during a post-epidemic era.Copyright © Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2021.
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Objective: In this study, it was aimed to examine the risk of sleep disturbance in children and its relationship with computer game addiction during the Coronavirus disease-2019 lock down. Materials and Methods: In our cross-sectional observational study, 343 children and their mothers who applied family medicine clinics of a tertiary hospital between 1 October 2020 and 1 January 2021 were included. A structured questionnaire including the socio-demographic data of the mother and the child, and the Children's Sleep Disturbance Scale and the Children's Computer Game Addiction Scale were applied. Results: One-hundred sixty-five (48.1%) girls and 178 (51.9%) boys aged 8-12 years and their mothers participated in the study. The risk of sleep disturbance was observed at a rate of 74.1% (n=254) and it was strongly correlated with computer game addiction (p<0.001, r=0.787). Game addiction scores of boys (58.66±16.68) and primary school children (60.37±16.41) were higher than game addiction of girls (52.91±17.57), and of secondary school children (55.06±17.39) (p=0.023, p=0.040, respectively). Computer game addiction score (61.89±14.77) of children with sleep disturbance risk was significantly higher (p<0.001) than children without sleep disturbance risk (38.79±11.84). Among the children with a risk of sleep disturbance, the proportion of time spent on the computer compared to the pre-pandemic period (70.1%), the proportion of going late to bed-time (70.0%), and the proportion of being own computer or tablet (71.7%) were found to be higher than the proportions in children (48.3%, 58.4%, 37.1%, respectively) without sleep disturbance (p<0.001, p=0.004, p<0.001, respectively). The level of computer game addiction was significantly increased in children who spent less time with their mothers (58.68±16.97) and less time for games (58.05±18.11) compared to other children (p=0.002). In the logistic regression analysis, it was shown that the game addiction score was 1.128 times higher in children with sleep disturbance risk [Odds ratio=1.128 (1.094-1.162;p<0.001)]. Conclusion: Our study showed that three of four children had a risk of sleep disorders during the pandemic period and were associated with an increased level of computer game addiction and drew attention to the importance of the time spent with the mother. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 kapanma döneminde çocuklarda uyku bozukluğu görülme riski ve bilgisayar oyun bağımlılığı ile ilişkisini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Gözlemsel kesitsel tipte olan çalışmamıza üçüncü basamak bir hastanede aile hekimliği polikliniklerine 1 Ekim 2020-1 Ocak 2021 tarihleri arasında başvuran 343 çocuk ve annesi dahil edilmiştir. Anne ve çocuğun sosyo-demografik verileri ile Çocuklar Íçin Uyku Bozukluğu Ölçeği ve Çocuklar Íçin Bilgisayar Oyun Bağımlılığı Ölçeği'ni içeren yapılandırılmış soru formu uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 8-12 yaş arası 165 (%48,1) kız ve 178 (%51,9) erkek çocuk ve anneleri katılmıştır. Uyku bozukluğu riski %74,1 (n=254) oranında gözlenmiş ve bilgisayar oyun bağımlılığı ile yüksek düzeyde ilişkili olduğu saptanmıştır (p<0,001, r=0,787). Uyku bozukluğu riski saptanan çocukların bilgisayar oyun bağımlılığı skoru (61,89±14,77), uyku bozukluğu riski olmayan çocuklardan (38,79±11,84) anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek (p<0,001) gözlenmiştir. Uyku bozukluğu riski olan çocuklar arasında, pandemi öncesine göre bilgisayar başında geçirdiği süre artan çocukların oranı (%70,1), yatağa yatış zamanı geciken çocukların oranı (%70,0) ve kendine ait bilgisayar ya da tableti olan çocukların oranı (%71,7), uyku bozukluğu riski olmayan çocuklardaki dağılıma göre (sırasıyla %48,3, %58,4, %37,1) daha yüksek saptanmıştır (sırasıyla p<0,001, p=0,004, p<0,001). Bilgisayar oyun bağımlılık düzeyi, annesi ile daha az zaman geçiren (58,68±16,97) ve oyun için kendisine daha az zaman ayrılan çocuklarda (58,05±18,11) diğer çocuklara göre anlamlı düzeyde artış gözlenmiştir (p=0,002). Lojistik regresyon analizinde uyku bozukluğu riski olan çocuklarda oyun bağımlılık skorunun 1,128 kat daha yüksek olduğu gösterilmiştir [Odds oranı=1,128 (1,094-1,162);p<0,001)]. Sonuç: Araştırmamız pandemi dönemi her dört çocuktan üçünde uyku bozukluğu riskinin olduğunu, bilgisayar oyun bağımlılığı düzeyi ile arttığını göstermiş ve anne ile geçirilen sürenin önemine dikkat çekmiştir. (Turkish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Turkish Sleep Medicine is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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Due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, the use of technology and internet has taken place widely in all areas of life of individuals and provided positive benefits to individuals in various fields. Although the use of internet and technology provides many benefits, spending excessive time on internet due to the pandemic conditions has detrimental effects such as internet addiction that has been wide-spreading in human life. In this context, in this study, it has been tried to determine the digital game addiction levels of the students, which has become prevalent with the internet and internet addiction. 66 parents, 207 teachers, and 978 students participated in this study in which a mixed research method was used. The results acquired through the research demonstrate that the students are addicted to internet and digital games. The majority of the participant parents state that their children spend 3 hours or more on the internet a day with the purpose of playing games. Parents state that they have concerns whether their children are aware of the internet safety risks and they feel discomfort with the time their children spend on internet. Similarly, the majority of teachers participating in the research believe that students are addicted to digital games. Another result obtained from the research is that the majority of the participant students spend 3 hours or more a day, especially for playing digital games. However, contrary to their teachers and parents, students do not consider themselves as internet and game addicts.
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Objective: The present study aimed to describe screen use patterns among Turkish adolescents during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic with a special emphasis on social media and digital gaming addiction, and explore how these are linked to adolescents' mental and academic well-being.Materials and Method: The study sample consisted of 9th to 12th grade students from three public high-schools in Istanbul, Turkey (n=201). Participants were required to complete a comprehensive questionnaire which gathered information about various domains including problematic screen use, attitudes towards online education, and mental/academic well-being during the lockdown period.Results: The overall screen time exhibited a significant increase during the lockdown, with the most common discretionary screen activities being social media use, communication, and watching movies/series (p<0.001). The students spent significantly less time on physical activities (p=0.003) and face-to-face meetings with their friends (p<0.001). Male students presented with higher scores on gaming addiction (p<0.001), whereas a significantly higher proportion of the female students (28.57% vs. 14.81%) were classified as atrisk for social media addiction (p=0.046). Both gaming addiction and social media addiction were associated with higher depression scores (p=0.003 and p<0.001 respectively).Conclusion: Screen use patterns may have diverse consequences for youth's well-being during the pandemic. The addiction risk and other detrimental outcomes are likely to be associated with the qualitative features of screen activities, rather than just the amount of time spent on digital media by the adolescents.
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Online game addiction and psychological distress are two continuously developing problems in the Philippines, with Filipinos aged 18 to 24 being the second largest age group to overuse interactive online-related games. This sequential explanatory mixed method study aimed to assess the young adults' gaming addiction and perceived psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the other factors contributing to the respondents' frequent engagement in online interactive games, which served as a basis for a preventive intervention program. The researcher administered the survey questionnaires of the Gaming Addiction Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 to 399 young adults aged 18–24 and a semi-structured interview guide to 20 addicted and non-addicted gamers. Key results showed that a small percentage of the respondents experienced polythetic and serious monothetic addiction to interactive online games. In contrast, half of the respondents manifested mild to moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major findings also found no significant gender differences in the level of online game addiction and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a moderate level of relationship substantiated the association. Further results revealed that the negative compensatory factors were associated with addicted gamers' frequent engagement with online games, whereas non-addicted gamers were associated with positive, beneficial factors. This phenomenon has hardly ever been the focus of in-depth research, and the results of this study can be used to further refine the conceptualization of "internet gaming disorder” as a mental disorder and develop a more comprehensive treatment method. © 2023 The Author(s).
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Following the Covid pandemic, there are various changes in the presentation and management of childhood psychiatric disorders. The introduction of telepsychiatry for delivering therapies has its own merits and demerits. However, as a consequence of the lack of one-on-one therapy and regular consultation with a child psychiatrist which is essential for the management of neurodevelopmental disorders, detrimental effects in terms of an increase in symptoms and behavioral problems were observed. Increased identification of cases of neurodevelopmental disorders especially ADHD and autism has escalated the burden on caregivers and treating professionals. These all need to be addressed in the post-pandemic situation calling for novel approaches for better service delivery on part of the psychiatrist in advising home-based therapies rather than depending on therapy centers. Due to the disruption of routine schooling during Covid pandemic, children are facing problems in adjusting to regular school postpandemic, especially children belonging to younger age groups. Most of these children are presenting with multiple somatic complaints to avoid attending school leading to a decline in scholastic performance. Other factors such as changing schools and increased screen time have an additive role in school refusal. These are the major factors that affected most school-going children. This scenario has been increasing and has to be tackled by employing a multidisciplinary approach involving psychiatrists, psychologists, parents and school authorities. Several studies demonstrate that early identification of the problem of school refusal and an early reintroduction to school has a good prognosis. Electronic gadget usage is on the rising trend bringing about its own set of challenges including internet addiction and gaming disorders. Psychiatrists should address these problems delicately, understanding the child's point of view which may require out-of-the-box approaches.
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PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate factors affecting digital game addiction in secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of digital game addiction on cardiovascular health behavior. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 619 secondary school students aged 10-14 years. Study data were analyzed using World Health Organization AnthroPlus and SPSS programs. Simple linear regression and multiple linear regression methods were used in the analysis process. RESULTS: Findings showed that 43.6% of the students played digital games for more than two hours a day. Descriptive characteristics (gender, age, basal metabolic rate, educational status of parent, income status, etc.) and digital gaming habits of the students accounted for 37.0% of the variance in digital game addiction. Digital game addiction adversely affected cardiovascular health behavior and all its sub-dimensions. CONCLUSION: The first factor that predicted digital game addiction, in order of significance, was daily digital game playing time. Digital game addiction negatively affected the sedentary lifestyle sub-dimension of cardiovascular health behavior most. Digital game addiction may trigger an increase in the incidence of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and especially cardiovascular diseases, at later ages. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses, schools, and parents have critical responsibilities in preventing digital game addiction. Results of this research will make a remarkable contribution to the development of preventive services by revealing risk factors for digital game addiction and the effects of digital game addiction on cardiovascular health behavior.
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COVID-19 , Video Games , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Students , Schools , Health BehaviorABSTRACT
Background The frequent lockdown in Nepal during COVID-19 pandemic had brought various kinds of complexities such as stress among college students. This situation had created uncertainty of future academic career of undergraduate students in medical colleges. Some previously published literature showed gaming as a coping mechanism against stress. Objective To assess the gaming behavior of Medical college students during lockdown in COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted during lockdown period of July to August 2020. A total of 412 college students were enrolled. Online Google forms were shared to all the eligible students through email, viber and messenger with the help of class representative. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS version 20.0. Result The prevalence of gaming disorder was 8.5% among 260 internet gaming users. About 69.2% of the participants reported that their gaming behavior had increased due to stress of COVID-19 pandemic. Gender and spending more time online per day showed significant associations with greater scores on the internet gaming disorder. Conclusion During lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic, the gaming behavior of medical college students has increased. Copyright © 2020, Kathmandu University. All rights reserved.
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Video game addiction, a common behavioral problem among college students, has been more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic; at the same time, females' video game usage has also attracted considerable research attention. Against this background and under the perspective of social interaction, this study aimed to examine the relationship between relational victimization and video game addiction among female college students, as well as its underlying mechanism-the mediating roles of social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters. Female college students (N = 437) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires voluntarily in June 2022. Through the mediating effect analysis, the results found that (1) relational victimization was positively associated with female college students' video game addiction; (2) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters could independently mediate this relation; (3) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters were also the serial mediators in this association. These findings not only expand previous studies by revealing the social motivation of video game usage and the underlying mechanism accounting for video game addiction, but also provide basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of video game addiction in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 , Crime Victims , Humans , Female , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Students , Technology Addiction , Anxiety/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Objective: Problematic shopping can include uncontrollable and frequent urges to shop. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have influenced these behaviors in several ways, such as through increased online shopping opportunities and pandemic-related stress. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine shopping and other behavioral addictions in the context of COVID-19. Method(s): Canadian participants (n=546) reported on shopping, gambling, and gaming behaviors, using an online questionnaire. Result(s): Many participants reported that they shopped more overall (42%), shopped more online (57%), and shopped more for nonessential goods (38%) during the pandemic. Online shoppers also demonstrated greater scores on 2 measures of problem shopping behavior: the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale, and the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale. Further, female participants were more likely to report problematic shopping behaviors, whereas male participants were more likely to report problematic gaming behaviors. However, both problematic gambling and gaming were associated with problematic shopping. Conclusion(s): The present findings may shed light on how individuals are faring in relation to behavioral addictions and consumerism during COVID-19. The clinical implications are that a number of individuals may be struggling with problematic shopping, which may overlap with other behavioral addictions (ie, gambling, gaming), and which could be exacerbated by the current economic pressures of the pandemic. Copyright © 2022 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Since the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, some people who have dropped out of online game have become re-addicted to it due to the order of stay-at-home, making the phenomenon of online game addiction even worse. Controlling the prevalence of online game addiction is of great significance to protect people's healthy life. For this purpose, a mathematical model of online game addiction with incomplete recovery and relapse is established. First, we analyze the basic properties of the model and obtain the expression of the basic reproduction number and all equilibria. By constructing suitable Lyapunov functions, the global asymptotical stability of the equilibria are proved. Then in the numerical simulation, we use the least squares estimation method to fit the real data of e-sports users in China from 2010 to 2020, and obtain the estimated value of all parameters. The approximation value of the basic reproduction number is obtained as R 0 ≈ 5.05 . The result reflects that the spread of game addiction in China is very serious. The stability of the equilibria are proved by using the estimated parameter values. Finally, the simulation results between with control and without control during 2020 to 2050 are compared, and the optimal control strategy is found by comparing the total infectious people. The results of optimal control suggest that if we increase our continuous attention to incompletely recovered people, we can prevent more people from becoming addicted to games. The findings in this paper reveal new mechanisms of game addiction transmission and demonstrate a more detailed and reliable control strategy.
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More than 10 months have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. Parents have complained about the behavioral and emotional changes in their children and feel it is diffcult for them to manage these changes. Parents must consider these important tips: 1- Re-establishment of previous routines of life and letting children know that they are supposed to behave according to these routines (for example, waking up early and eating breakfast before the online classes start);2- Re-establishment of physical activity for their children. There may be restrictions on going to the gym and other public places for physical activity, but there is no justifcation for stopping these activities (conditions can be provided safely);3- The child does not have the cognitive capacity to analyze some of these global issues, so parents should be careful not to allow the child to be exposed to all the catastrophic events of the environment in these critical conditions. These issues can be easily overlooked and can cause great harm to the child;4- Considering the danger of Cyber addiction and Game addiction, during the COVID- 19 pandemic, children spend hours at the computer, and in addition to losing opportunities for socializing and physical activity, there is the risk of pathological dependence on cyber content and computer games, and encountering immoral content that is inappropriate for age, leading to changes in their child's mood and behavior and occurrence of psychiatric disorders.
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Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is reported that children and adolescents who are socially isolated experience high levels of stress and various mental health problems. At present, little research has been done to collect previous studies that focused on game addiction in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of gaming disorder during COVID-19 in children and adolescents and the various factors experienced by children and adolescents that affected gaming disorder. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane on 5 May 2021 to identify relevant literature. We extracted the prevalence estimates of game addiction from the studies to measure the global prevalence of game addiction. Then, we found the answers to the questions raised and synthesized them into several themes. Results: We identified 2,609 articles. Among them, studies that were not related to the topic, duplicated, and that did not meet the selection criteria were excluded, and 18 studies were selected. We rated most of the studies as moderate, and a few were low, and high. A majority of studies found an increase in game usage time and game addiction score during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some children and adolescents in emotional pain play games to communicate with their peers. Regarding parenting, violent parenting and the absence of parental supervision increase levels of game addiction in children. Gaming disorder was caused by the impact of COVID-19 in a vulnerable group with predisposing factors such as depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescents and males scored higher on a game addiction scale, although we could not find any quantitative correlations due to the heterogeneous scales used for gaming addiction. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolated children and adolescents reported increased gaming hours as a result of coping with their psychological pain and avoiding social isolation. Their parents, who should provide proper supervision, also failed to provide appropriate support due to the stress caused by the pandemic. Mental health providers should educate children, adolescents, and their guardians on alternative ways to relieve stress and help parents effectively control their children's usage of games.
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Symposium summary: Over the last few decades, the medical concept of addiction disorders has undergone tremendous development. Addictive disorders are currently considered a multifactorial chronic disease and have become a significant cause of global health problems and other psychiatric disorders. Not only drug addiction but also the number of behavioral addiction patients continues to increase. The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread across the entire world has curtailed most individuals' daily activities and movements. In response, the COVID-19 pandemic lets individuals engage more with technology use, providing escapism to several activities (e.g., shopping, eating, gambling, gaming, doing physical exercise, watching pornography). These activities allow them to find some acute emotional relief, albeit pathologically. These behaviors happened by accessibility, availability, and the absence of prevention and management programs for excess use. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown policies in several countries have created a new paradigm regarding the prevention of specific strategies for behavioral addiction, primarily due to the increase in internet use that leads to addiction. A standard is needed to manage behavioral addiction, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, in a holistic and comprehensive manner. Besides, an instrument is needed to distinguish healthy gamers, problematic gamers, and gaming disorders in order to prevent overdiagnosis. Notably, the symposium will highlight the emerging issue of behavioral addiction such as gambling, gaming, and pornography in Low Middle-Income Countries during the pandemic, exploring global solutions to international problems in the field of addiction medicine. In this symposium, there will be one chair and four speakers.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of the internet in the community, especially online games, increasing the risk of addiction. According to our research, the prevalence of internet addiction in Indonesian adolescents and adults was 19% and 15% in 2020. 30% of teenagers who started as regular online gamers were developing to be addicts. Currently, there are no specific regulations for online games in Indonesia while parents seek professional help. Therefore, Indonesia's national referral hospital has developed a behavioural addiction clinic based on CBT modalities and family therapy. Studies on the effectiveness of CBT for adolescents with gaming disorders are strongly needed to standardize internet gaming disorder management. Methods: This research is an experimental study that followed 20 patients given CBT for six months. The CBT was in a modified module adapted to Indonesian culture and performed for 12 sessions. On the sixth month of follow-up, the data analysis found decreased online games addiction scores and duration of online game usage, improvement of psychopathology, family relationships, self-image, and parenting styles. Results: There was a significant change (p<0.05) in the duration of online games usage, online games addiction scores, relationships with family, parenting styles, selfimage, and psychopathology. This modified CBT modality can be used as a national guideline in Indonesia Conclusion: Modified CBT is effective for gaming disorder treatment for adolescents and young adults in Indonesia. This modality could be used as a treatment model for national management in Indonesia's various mental health service centres.
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Background: Video gaming revenues have increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trending social games and hyper-casual games are attracting new audiences that require further study. While engaging in video games and Internet-related behaviors inherently may help promote social connection and alleviate stress during the pandemic, a small proportion of individuals develop problematic habits that interfere with daily functioning. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the number of helpline calls for gaming disorder and problematic Internet use in the province of Ontario, Canada. Methods: Helpline calls were collected from a provincial mental health & addiction treatment service hotline from January 2019 to December 2021. This free and confidential service is for people who experience problems with alcohol, drugs, mental illness, and behavioral disorders. Growth modeling will be employed to examine the links between the number of calls received, the number of COVID-19 cases reported province-wide and the accumulated lockdown days across the different months. Results: The associations between the linear, quadratic and cubic growth/change curve factors of the number of calls received in relation to the progress of the pandemic will be reported for time variant, time-invariant and parallel growth moderators. Conclusions: Helpline calls are expected to increase during lockdowns and decrease when restrictions are lifted. This study serves to inform preventive measures that should be considered with the implementation of lockdown during a pandemic to prevent problematic forms of gaming or Internet use.
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Gaming disorder has been associated with increased loneliness as well as poorer family relationships. Additionally, loneliness as well as dysfunctional family relations may have exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the current work was to investigate (1) how loneliness, family relations, and gaming disorder are associated in a sample of gamers, and (2) if there are group differences between these associations in gamers who responded to the survey before and during the pandemic years. The effective sample comprised 47819 people (age M = 25.76;SD = 7.42;90.3% men, 9.7% women) who responded to an Englishlanguage online survey regarding gaming and other variables of relevance. Respondents took part in the cross-sectional study between 2019-2021, that is, some people responded before and some during the pandemic years. Bivariate correlation analysis results showed that higher gaming disorder scores were associated with experiencing more loneliness and less harmony in family relationships. The results of analysis of variance tests showed that people who took part in the survey in 2019 scored lower on the gaming disorder, loneliness, and family relations scales than participants who took part in the study during 2020 and 2021. This study provides empirical evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic might have affected the psychological health as well as social relations of gamers in a negative way.
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Introduction: Problematic gaming, social media, and pornography use have all been conceptualized as potential behavioral addictions, sharing similar etiological and neurological mechanisms. Nevertheless, majority of the research to date has investigated these behaviors separately or explored their co-occurrence. The present study aimed to investigate how an identical set of predictors relates to each problematic behavior, exploring the similarities and differences between them. Methods: Data was collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with an online survey among a convenience sample of Hungarians. Three linear regression models with the three different problematic behaviors as outcomes were conducted (problematic social media use/pornography use/gaming N = 332/396/217;gender = 62.2/66.0/69.9% males;mean age = 38.6/39.9/37.6 years;SD = 10.7/11.0/10.0). Results: Findings revealed that depression symptoms were significantly and positively related to all three problem behaviors. Problematic pornography use was associated with male gender, while problematic social media use was associated with female gender. Time spent on each activity was positively correlated with the problematic use of the same activity. Remarkably, playing time was also positively associated with problematic social media use and problematic pornography use. Moreover, loneliness was significantly and positively associated with problematic pornography use. Conclusion: The results indicate that problematic gamers, social media, and pornography users all may experience depression symptoms and that excessive use may result in adverse consequences in all these activities. The current findings extend the knowledge regarding the psychological features of problematic use of games, pornography, and social media, highlighting the need to focus on their common underlying etiological processes.
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Objective: The self-isolation measures employed during the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for basic needs to be met, thus increasing emotional distress. It has been suggested that socially meaningful online gaming buffered emotional distress during the lockdown. This study aimed to test the protective effect of online gaming during the lockdown and to investigate the differences between highly involved gamers (those who play videogames intensely without adverse consequences) and problematic gamers in this regard. Method: Capitalizing on a data collection that started before the pandemic, we adopted a cross-sectional between-groups study design in which gaming patterns, gaming-related variables and levels of emotional distress were compared between a pre-COVID group (N=298) and a COVID group (N=366). Results: Compared to the pre-COVID group, high involvement in gaming was more prominent and emotional distress was decreased in the COVID group. Moderated regression analyses further revealed that the interaction between social compensation via gaming and highly involved gaming was associated with lower levels of emotional distress in the COVID-19 group. In contrast, the interaction between gaming-related relaxation and problematic gaming predicted higher emotional distress in the COVID-19 group. Conclusions: This study suggests that gaming for social compensation might mitigate the experienced emotional distress during pandemic related self-isolation, whereas maladaptive gaming patterns could constitute a vulnerability factor deserving clinical attention.
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Symposium summary: The present symposium integrates novel findings from Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US in a broad look at measurement, prevention, and help-seeking for gaming disorder in the context of other addictions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical evidence presented is based on survey, epidemiological, and clinical data and aims to enhance the understanding of: a) the positioning of gaming disorder (GD) in relation to other addictive behaviors;b) the utility of machine learning approaches on analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) data to identify GD;c) the effectiveness of a CBT-based intervention in preventing GD and;d) the links between addiction help seeking and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first presentation presents the results of the registered trial from Germany and examines the effectiveness of school-based, 4-session cognitive behavioral therapy prevention intervention (PROTECT) for GD. The second contribution uses advanced growth modelling on call data from an addictions helpline in the province of Ontario, Canada to illustrate the temporal associations between GD-and Internet-related help-seeking requests and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third presentation is from the UK and uses machine learning to generate the EEG footprint of GD and contrast this with recreational gaming. Finally, the fourth and fifth contributions from Australia and the USA use variable-and person-centered approaches to highlight the positioning of GD in relation to other addictions and to introduce novel profiles of cross-addictive comorbidities. Findings will be discussed in the light of the emerging GD literature around identification, prevention, and treatment for GD.