TY - JOUR
T1 - Association of Internet gaming disorder symptoms with anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use
T2 - an international cross-sectional study
AU - Burkauskas, Julius
AU - Griskova-Bulanova, Inga
AU - Đorić, Ana
AU - Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh
AU - Sidharth, Arya
AU - Ransing, Ramdas
AU - Thi, Tuong–Vi –V V.
AU - Huong, Truong Ngoc
AU - Kafali, Helin Yilmaz
AU - Erzin, Gamze
AU - Vally, Zahir
AU - Chowdhury, Mita Rani Roy
AU - Sharma, Pawan
AU - Shakya, Rabi
AU - Moreira, Paulo
AU - Faria, Sara
AU - Noor, Isa Multazam
AU - Campos, Luís Antônio Monteiro
AU - Szczegielniak, Anna Rebeka
AU - Stevanovic, Dejan
N1 - Funding Information:
JB and IGB has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), project agreement No S-GEV-20-5, while no other funds were received.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Background: Problematic Internet gaming is an increasingly recognized global mental health problem. This multicultural cross-sectional study examined the association between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms and anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use within a sample of young Internet users. In total, 3529 college/university students (1260 (35.7%) males; mean age 21 ± 3 years) were surveyed online. We assessed online gaming patterns using the Internet Gaming Disorder Self-report for College/University Students (ICMH-IGD), symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and symptoms of anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7. Results: IGD symptoms were associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use, independent of time spent online, psychiatric diagnosis, culture, or sociodemographic characteristics. For males, more significant IGD symptoms were associated with more extended Internet browsing per day time and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, while for females, with more extended Internet browsing per day time, marihuana use, and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Our study found that more overt symptoms of IGD were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use. Still, these associations differed among males and females, suggesting that gender differences should be considered when planning specific treatments.
AB - Background: Problematic Internet gaming is an increasingly recognized global mental health problem. This multicultural cross-sectional study examined the association between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms and anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use within a sample of young Internet users. In total, 3529 college/university students (1260 (35.7%) males; mean age 21 ± 3 years) were surveyed online. We assessed online gaming patterns using the Internet Gaming Disorder Self-report for College/University Students (ICMH-IGD), symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and symptoms of anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7. Results: IGD symptoms were associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use, independent of time spent online, psychiatric diagnosis, culture, or sociodemographic characteristics. For males, more significant IGD symptoms were associated with more extended Internet browsing per day time and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, while for females, with more extended Internet browsing per day time, marihuana use, and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Our study found that more overt symptoms of IGD were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use. Still, these associations differed among males and females, suggesting that gender differences should be considered when planning specific treatments.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Depression
KW - Gaming addiction
KW - Gaming disorder
KW - Problematic gaming
KW - Psychiatric symptoms
KW - Substance abuse
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U2 - 10.1186/s43045-022-00180-6
DO - 10.1186/s43045-022-00180-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124951719
SN - 2090-5408
VL - 29
JO - Middle East Current Psychiatry
JF - Middle East Current Psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - 14
ER -