Abstract
Despite the increasing research attention being paid to gaming disorder globally, a screening tool developed specifically for the Chinese population is still lacking. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a screening tool to assess Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptomology, defined by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), among Chinese gamers. Based on expert interviews and consultations, a focus group of gamers, a background literature review, and the IGD criteria proposed by the DSM-5, we developed the Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC). This study evaluated its dimensional structure, reliability, validity, and screening efficacy with 464 Chinese past-year gamers (53% female; mean age = 19.84). The two-level structure of the 27-item C-IGDC showed a satisfactory model fit, acceptable reliability, as well as good validity via expected associations with Internet addiction, gameplay frequency, and depressive symptoms. The optimal screening cutoff score (≥20) was proposed to detect probable IGD cases. The C-IGDC is the first DSM-5-based, multidimensional IGD screening tool designed specifically for Chinese gamers. Further evaluation of the C-IGDC in epidemiological studies and clinical settings is recommended.
Highlights
The recognition of gaming disorder as a mental disorder has generated increasing attention in clinical and research fields in recent years
We first tested the one-factor unconstrained model of the 34 Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC) items and found its model fit to be unsatisfactory, χ2 (527) = 2089.81, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.87, TLI = 0.86, RMSEA = 0.080
After dividing the overall sample into the potential Internet gaming disorder (IGD) group and the non-IGD group according to the C-IGDC and the cutoff of ≥20, we identified significant between-group differences on IA symptoms (MIGD = 54.27, Mnon-IGD = 42.36, t(462) = 9.33, p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (MIGD = 12.04, Mnon-IGD = 8.80, t(462) = 5.16, p < 0.001), and DSM-5 IGD symptoms (MIGD = 4.22, Mnon-IGD = 1.35, t(462) = 15.91, p < 0.001)
Summary
The recognition of gaming disorder as a mental disorder has generated increasing attention in clinical and research fields in recent years. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a potential addictive disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-5), and more recently, the World Health Organization has included gaming disorder (predominantly online or offline) in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) [2]. According to both the DSM-5 and the ICD-11, gaming disorder is a persistent (for at least 12 months, in most cases) and maladaptive pattern of gaming behavior characterized by an individual’s propensity to prioritize gaming over other activities, a loss of control over one’s gaming, and continuation of gaming despite negative consequences. Public Health 2020, 17, 3412; doi:10.3390/ijerph17103412 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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