Abstract
This study tested whether adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for pathological game use than typically developing (TD) adults. Participants included 119 adults with and without ASD. Participants completed measures assessing daily hours of video game use, percent of free time spent playing video games, and symptoms of pathological game use. The results indicated that adults with ASD endorsed more symptoms of video game pathology than did TD adults. This relationship was strong, enjoying 300,000-to-1 odds in Bayesian model comparison. Results also showed that adults with ASD spent more daily hours playing video games and spent a higher percent of their free time playing video games than did TD adults. Even after adjustment for these differences in daily video game hours and proportion of free time spent on games, model comparisons found evidence for a difference in game pathology scores associated with ASD status. Additionally, escapism motives for playing video games was associated with game pathology scores in both ASD and TD adults, replicating and extending a previous report. In conclusion, the risk for pathological game use appears larger in adults with ASD compared with TD adults. These findings point to pathological game use as a potentially important focus of clinical attention in adults with ASD.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by core deficits in social interaction/communication and by restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
In the analysis in which game pathology scores were included as the dependent variable and group diagnosis, average time spent playing video games per day, and the percent of free time spent playing video games were included as the independent variables, seven models were compared: the null effects model, the model with group diagnosis only, the model with average time spent playing video games per day only, the model with percent of free time spent playing video games only, three models including two of the three parameters, and a full model including all three parameters
Consistent with our primary prediction, we found very strong evidence that adults with ASD are at higher risk for pathological game use symptoms than typically developing (TD) adults
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by core deficits in social interaction/communication and by restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These core impairments, which are often accompanied by co-occurring mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (Gillott & Standen, 2007; Mazefsky, Folstein & Lainhart, 2008; Moseley et al, 2011), persist through adulthood (Seltzer et al, 2004; Shattuck et al, 2007; Taylor & Seltzer, 2010). Identifying factors that affect health, well-being, and daily functioning in adults with ASD is of chief importance.
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