Impact of COVID-19 on gaming disorder: Monitoring and prevention (original) (raw)
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Case Report: Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic Associated Gaming Disorder
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Background: Self-quarantine and social distancing are one of the numerous impacts of COVID-19 pandemic that leads individuals to spend much more time at home which in turn interestingly contributes to the increased number of gaming disorder cases. Gaming disorder is defined as a negative behavioural pattern that is characterized by excessive time spent on playing games and losing self-control in terms of playing games that causes neglect of other daily activities or interests. Case Report: We are reporting a case of gaming disorder in a 25-year-old man, D, through this COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: We suggest that there is an association between psychosocial stressors and environment with psychiatric conditions. Further study is recommended to more holistically understand this particular gaming disorder.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, playing video games has been much more than just a pastime. Studies suggested that video games for many individuals have helped to cope with such difficult life experience. However, other research indicates that gaming may have had harmful effects. Within this context, this systematic review aimed to describe the literature on the effects of video games during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis on stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and gaming disorder (GD), examining the study characteristics and outcomes. A systematic search of the literature was made following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. It was preregistered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY)-INPLASY202180053. The search databases were PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Medline. The search string was: [(''video game*'') OR (''computer game*'') OR (''gaming'')] AND [(''COVID-19'')]. Twentyfour studies met the inclusion criteria. Four research explored the effects of playing video games during the COVID-19 pandemic on stress, anxiety, and depression. Four studies investigated loneliness, while 18 research investigated game disorder. Video games, especially augmented reality and online multiplayer ones, mitigated stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness among adolescents and young adults during stayat-home restrictions. However, in the case of at-risk individuals (i.e., particularly male youths), playing video games had detrimental effects.
Gaming as a coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Cyberpsychology, 2023
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, social interactions were constrained by physical distancing guidelines. Consequently, some individuals may have turned to video games to cope with isolation and negative emotions. Previous studies have shown that people who struggle with anxiety and depression are at particular risk for developing problem gaming behaviours. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research testing pathways from negative emotionality to problem gaming behaviours, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, we conducted a multi-wave longitudinal study and predicted that high levels of emotional vulnerability (anxiety and depression) in the first month of the pandemic would prospectively relate to elevated time spent gaming and related problems six months later. We also predicted that elevated coping motives for gaming would mediate these associations. A sample of 332 Canadian gamers (Mage = 33.79; 60.8% men) completed three surveys on Prolific, with the first occurring in April 2020 (one-month after the declared COVID-19 state of emergency) and subsequent surveys were spaced three months apart. High initial levels of emotional vulnerability predicted excessive time spent gaming, as well as related problems, six months into the pandemic. Elevated coping motives for gaming uniquely mediated these pathways. This longitudinal study is the first to show that negative emotionality was a vulnerability factor for coping-related problem gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to cope with the longer-lasting impacts of the pandemic, it will be important for individuals who struggle with mood and anxiety issues to find more effective ways of coping.
Current Addiction Reports
Purpose of Review This commentary aimed to propose the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) model for gaming disorder (GD) and hazardous gaming (HG) on the basis of the International Classification of Disease, 11th version (ICD-11) classification. Recent Findings COVID-19 and its preventive measures increase the risk of GD and the treatment needs could exceed the capacities of mental health systems. Brief intervention could be provided for adolescents with HG after screening. Psychiatrists make diagnoses of GD or HG and then refer them to school counselors, specialized psychologists, or integrated teams based on the severity, comorbidity, and complication of GD. Summary The classification of GD and HG was suitable to develop a SBIRT model intervention. The SBIRT should work through the shortage of resources and provide a brief intervention guild to make it practical.
Playing Video Games During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Effects on Players’ Well-Being
Games and Culture, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives in many ways, including how we choose to spend our time and deal with unprecedented circumstances. Anecdotal reports suggest that many have turned to playing video games during the pandemic. To better understand how games are being used during the lockdown, we conducted an online survey (N = 781) that focused on gameplay habits and effects on players’ well-being. We find that time spent playing games has increased for 71% of respondents, while 58% of respondents reported that playing games has impacted their well-being, with the overwhelming majority of responses indicating a positive impact. We identify seven ways that games have affected players, such as providing cognitive stimulation and opportunities to socialise, and a variety of benefits related to mental health, including reduced anxiety and stress. Our findings highlight the sociocultural significance of video games and the potentially positive nature of games’ effects on well-being.
PLOS Global Public Health
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been rising in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a noticeable shift in the way people interact with technology, which could have further contributed to an increase in IGD. Post-pandemic, the concern for IGD is likely to continue as people have become increasingly reliant on online activities. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of IGD among the general population globally during the pandemic. Relevant studies that assessed IGD during COVID-19 were identified using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycNET between 2020, Jan 1 and 2022, May 23. We used NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies to assess the risk of bias, and GRADEpro for the certainty of the evidence. Three separate meta-analyses were performed using Comprehensive meta-analysis software and Revman 5.4. In total, 362 studies were identified, of which 24 observational (15 cross-sectional and 9 longitudinal) studies among 83,903...
Worsened Anxiety and Loneliness Influenced Gaming and Gambling during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Aim: To study the prevalence and patterns of problematic gaming and gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic and the association with psychiatric traits and major types of anxiety categories. Method: 1067 young adults participated in both wave 3 (2018) and wave 4 (2021) of the SALVe Cohort. Associations with psychiatric symptoms and anxiety were examined using logistic regression and Chi-square tests. Results: Problematic gaming decreased by 1.3 percentage points to 23.2% since the start of the pandemic, while problematic gambling increased by 0.9 percentage points to 6.5% in w4. Average time spent playing video games/day decreased from 2.2 h (w3) to 1.7 h (w4), while increases in gaming activity were associated with worsened feelings of loneliness (p = 0.002), depression (p < 0.001), and anxiety (p < 0.01) during the pandemic. Predictors for problematic gaming at w4 were previous problematic gaming and social anxiety (p = < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Moreover, previous pr...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
It is mainly children and adolescents who are involved in video gaming. The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have further increased their use of video games and, consequently, the risk of gaming disorder (GD) symptoms. However, currently, we do not have exhaustive knowledge of this issue. To fill this gap, the current study aims to analyze video gaming habits in children and adolescents during the lockdown, starting in March 2020 in Italy, the first European country affected by the pandemic. Specifically, we aim to understand how variables related to parents—for instance, knowledge of their offspring’s life, the monitoring of their video gaming habits, and parental use of video games—are related to their offspring’s time spent on video games and GD symptoms. A web-based survey involving parents (n = 554, 79% mothers, mean age = 45.39) of 554 children and adolescents (73% males, mean age = 11.11) was utilized. The results showed that they were involved in video games, par...
Gaming Disorder among Medical College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
Kathmandu University Medical Journal, 2020
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 spend...
Amid Covid-19: The Rise of Gaming Addiction
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the social lifestyles of millions of people all over the world. It is a serious threat to public health and has spread rapidly around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the first reported case, which originated in Wuhan, on January 12, 2020. Meanwhile, on January 25, 2020, the first case in Malaysia was reported. To break the Covid-19 chain, the Malaysian government imposed a Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18, 2020. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on the gaming addiction situation among Malaysian adolescents through the implementation of MCO. METHODOLOGY: This study focuses on Malaysian adolescents aged 18 to 21 who engage in online gaming, either mobile gaming or desktop gaming. The study's methodology includes an online survey via Google Forms and an online focused group (FG) session. Before being invited to the focused group discussion, participants were asked to complete an online screening survey using Dr. Kimberly S. Young's Young-Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ; 1998). (FGD). The FGD result is recorded and transcribed for the analysis process. RESULT: Participants reported spending 4 to 5 hours on weekdays and more than 6 hours on weekends playing Mobile Legend (ML), their preferred online gaming platform. Furthermore, it was reported that siblings and friends influenced respondents to participate in online gaming.