Bio-psychosocial factors of children and adolescents with internet gaming disorder: a systematic review

Abstract

Previous large-scale studies suggest that internet gaming disorder (IGD) among children and adolescents has become an important public concern. Minors are known to be particularly susceptible to problematic internet gaming use owing to age-related underdevelopment of cognitive control. It has been shown that precursors of addictions appear during adolescence; therefore, prevention efforts must be established targeting minors who have their first experience with addictive substances and behaviors during pubescence. Since the DSM-5 classification of IGD in 2013, studies on IGD have drastically increased in number. Thus, we performed an updated review of studies of IGD in children and adolescents to assess the clinical implications of IGD. The search included all publication years, using PubMed, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. Across studies, the presence of IGD had a negative effect on sleep and schoolwork in minors. Additionally, family factors, including the quality of parent-child relationships, were important social factors in minors with IGD. Brain imaging studies indicate that impaired cognitive control in minors with IGD is associated with abnormal function in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. Persistent pathological online game use from childhood may aggravate abnormal brain function; therefore, preventive care and early intervention are increasingly important. Although extant research supports the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for minors with IGD, effective psychological intervention for minors with IGD is an urgent issue that requires further research. This review, which presents updated findings of IGD in minors, is expected to contribute to the development of future research and be useful in clinical practice in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Assessing ICD-11 Gaming Disorder in Adolescent Gamers: Development and Validation of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A)

“…Similar to substance use, fulfilling some addiction criteria might indicate extensive usage or a kind of normative behavior rather than pathology [24]. In line with this, Sugaya et al (2019) revealed that some IGD criteria are more common in children and adolescents than others, which supports the suggestion of Colder Carras and Kardefelt-Winter (2018) to classify DSM-5 criteria in "weak" and "strong" symptoms of pathological gaming [4,24].…”

“…Children and adolescents are especially prone to engage in pathological gaming, as their capabilities of cognitive control are still under development [1][2][3]. Sleep disorders, deterioration of school grades, and family conflicts, as well as emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems, are more common among young pathological gamers than among non-and normal-gaming peers [4]. Moreover, emotional dysregulation (ED) as a hallmark of psychopathology is associated with pathological gaming behavior in children and adolescents [5,6].…”

“…Strong attachment to games might be created, as a lot of games specifically address young people's interests and incorporate intermittent reward systems [13,14]. Epidemiological studies on pathological gaming in adolescents conducted in Europe, Asia, and Australia revealed prevalence rates ranging from 1.2% to 5.9% [4]. However, findings might be difficult to interpret due to the heterogeneity of measuring instruments applied.…”

“…Early questionnaires to assess pathological gaming were developed based on systematic reviews on pathological gaming or criteria of other addictive disorders [12]. Recent studies mainly employed scales measuring the diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) that was included as a "condition warranting more clinical research and experience" before possible consideration "as a formal disorder" in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) in 2013 [4,15]. IGD comprises nine criteria referring to gaming on the internet, or on any electronic device: (1) preoccupation with gaming, (2) withdrawal when not playing, (3) tolerance, (4) unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop gaming, (5) giving up other activities, (6) continuation of gaming despite problems, (7) deceiving or covering up gaming, (8) gaming to escape adverse moods, and (9) risking or losing relationships or career opportunities due of excessive gaming [16].…”

Evaluating the quality of evidence for gaming disorder: A summary of systematic reviews of associations between gaming disorder and depression or anxiety

“…Another review classified effect sizes as small, medium, or large and presented a table of counts of effect sizes for four mental health outcomes as a way to address heterogeneity in measurement [ 28 ]. Most reviews discussed limitations at the study, outcome, and review level, but two reviews did not discuss limitations systematically [ 27 , 29 ].…”