Bidirectional Associations Between Self-Reported Gaming Disorder and Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a Sample of Young Swiss Men.

Véronique S. Grazioli,Simon Marmet,Gerhard Gmel,Joseph Studer

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00649

Abstract

Background: Gaming disorder (GD) has been shown to co-occur with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet few studies to date have investigated their longitudinal associations.Method: The sample included 5,067 young Swiss men (mean age was 20 years at wave 1 and 25 years at wave 3). Measures were the Game Addiction Scale and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (6-item screener). Longitudinal associations were tested using autoregressive cross-lagged models for binary measures of GD and ADHD, as well as continuous measures for GD score and ADHD subscales of inattention and hyperactivity.Results: ADHD at age 20 increased the risk for GD at age 25 (probit = 0.066 [0.023, 0.109]; p = 0.003). GD at age 20 also increased the risk for ADHD at wave 3 (probit = 0.058 [0.013, 0.102]; p = 0.011). Only the ADHD inattention subscale showed a bidirectional longitudinal relationship with the GD score (standardized Beta from inattention at age 20 to GD score at age 25: 0.090 [0.056, 0.124]; p < 0.001; from GD score at age 20 to inattention at age 25: 0.044 [0.016, 0.071]; p = 0.002), whereas associations between the hyperactivity subscale and GD were not significant.Discussion: GD had bidirectional longitudinal associations with ADHD, in that ADHD increased the risk for GD and GD increased the risk for ADHD, and they may reinforce each other. These associations may be linked more to the inattention ADHD component than to the hyperactivity ADHD component. Individuals with ADHD or GD should be screened for the other disorder, and preventive measures for GD should be evaluated in individuals with ADHD.

Highlights

Gaming DisorderVideo gaming is a widespread activity among young men
Our results indicate that gaming disorder (GD) might have been more persistent among individuals who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at age 20 than among those with only GD at age 20, the coefficient in our study was just below significance after adjustment for substance use disorders (SUDs), indicating that other factors besides ADHD may influence the persistence of GD
The present study adds to existing evidence that GD may be associated with serious negative mental health outcomes by providing evidence that GD and adult ADHD have bidirectional longitudinal associations, i.e., each increases the risk of the other

Summary

Introduction

Gaming DisorderVideo gaming is a widespread activity among young men. gaming is an unproblematic leisure activity like many others for most people [1], it does cause problems for some, eventually resulting in a gaming disorder (GD), for which prevalence estimates in European adolescent nationally representative general population surveys range from about 1 to 5% [2,3,4]. GD has been defined as an excessive and compulsive use of video games resulting in social and/or emotional problems [7]. It has been associated with several mental health problems such as major depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and social phobia/anxiety [8, 9]. There is some controversy about whether GD should be labelled as a behavioural (i.e., non-substance) addiction/disorder [10,11,12] It is not included as such in the current fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [13]. Gaming disorder (GD) has been shown to co-occur with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet few studies to date have investigated their longitudinal associations

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Discussion

Conclusion