Internet gaming disorder, motives, game genres and psychopathology

Abstract

Since Internet gaming disorder recently appeared in the section III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5), little investigation has been performed. Besides, more data on Internet gaming behaviors is needed in French samples. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in a sample of French young Internet users and to explore the relationships between Internet gaming disorder, time spent on the Internet, gaming time and motives, game genre, and psychopathology. Our sample consisted of 418 online gamers recruited online, aged from 18 to 30 years (M = 22; SD = 3) and constituted of 206 women (49%) and 212 men. They completed several scales assessing characteristics of Internet use and gaming behaviors as well as depression and self-esteem. The prevalence of Internet gaming disorder was nearly 2% (n = 8). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that time spent on the Internet, gaming motives and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of Internet gaming disorder scores, with differences according to gender. Problematic gamers had higher mean scores of social, escape, coping and fantasy motives and psychopathology than non-problematic gamers. This study highlights the relationships between Internet gaming disorder, motives, game genres and psychopathological variables, as differences between gamers with and without Internet gaming disorder. Motives such escape appears as a highly important factor, highlighting why internet gaming disorder could be considered as a dysfunctional coping strategy.