Adolescents' and Parents' Perspectives: A Gaming Disorder Intervention in Singapore

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand useful components and mechanisms in treating adolescent gaming disorder.BackgroundAlthough video gaming has become a pervasive part of adolescents' daily life that can lead to educational, physical, psychological, and social problems, there is ongoing debate as to whether this is an addiction, and there is little evidence about treatment effectiveness.MethodThis process research used a case study design and conducted individual semistructured interviews with 10 male adolescents and 11 parents after they had completed a treatment program.ResultsFour treatment components (individual counseling, family counseling, group mentoring and social support, and alternative activities) were generally found to be useful. Counselors were able to engage the adolescents and serve as role models in gaming through creative use of technology.ConclusionPractitioners working with adolescents with gaming disorder should attend to their developmental needs pertaining to gaming, health, psychosocial, and educational aspects relevant to the Asian context.ImplicationsPractitioners should go beyond counseling rooms and adopt different strategies to reach out and work with adolescents who are struggling with excessive gaming in different therapeutic settings via engaging and working with them in individual, family, and group contexts using technology, particularly video games.

A Qualitative Study of Practitioners’ Views on Family Involvement in Treatment Process of Adolescent Internet Addiction

“…Putting the results into cultural context and considering the traditional Chinese collective core family values, family involvement in the treatment process addresses the entire family as a unit [ 8 , 29 ]. This fits with the findings from a Singapore study that active parental participation in intervention programs is an effective, culturally relevant solution in the Asian context [ 28 ].…”

“…This finding coincides with results from previous research, such as Liu et al [ 18 ] and Zhong et al [ 16 ], that found that strengthened family cohesion and dynamics have profound effects on ameliorating IA behaviors. In accordance with recently published qualitative research on parents’ perspectives in gaming disorder interventions, counselors who put adequate emphasis on addressing family tensions and mediating turbulent parent–child relationships manage to expedite the treatment process [ 28 ]. Therefore, it is suggested that family involvement in IA treatment should encompass enhancing communication proficiency and fostering positive family interactions and functionality.…”

Requirements of a Group Intervention for Adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder in a Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Interview Study

“…Given the early state of research on this complex and novel disorder, individual experiences of patients and experienced practitioners are of high relevance for the development and the evaluation of treatment programs. To the best of our knowledge, until today only one qualitative study has been published that investigated adolescents' perspectives on useful components and mechanisms in the treatment of problematic gaming behavior by semi-structured interviews [32]. The sample of Sim et al consisted of 10 boys from 13 to 18 years and 11 parents who had participated in the Cyber Wellness Enrichment Program (CWEP) within two years before the interview [32].…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, until today only one qualitative study has been published that investigated adolescents' perspectives on useful components and mechanisms in the treatment of problematic gaming behavior by semi-structured interviews [32]. The sample of Sim et al consisted of 10 boys from 13 to 18 years and 11 parents who had participated in the Cyber Wellness Enrichment Program (CWEP) within two years before the interview [32]. The authors do not give information on comorbidities, diagnostic criteria, and the severity of the problematic behavior.…”

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Children: Clinical Treatment Insights

“…Both were formalised as disorders in 2019. Consequently, literature about the research and treatment of IGD and GD is fairly recent, and although some case studies do exist [8][9][10][11][12] they are few in number, tend to provide little detailed information about each case and typically use the cases of older teenagers 14 to 19 years old [8,10,13]. The objective of the current case series study is to evaluate the symptom profile, assessment process, treatment and outcomes for a case series of young adolescents aged 11-13 years who had presented to a treatment clinic seeking help for IGD/GD.…”