A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Media Neuroscience Lab indicates that video game addiction in teenagers is more closely linked to preexisting mental health conditions than to the games themselves.
The research, led by Kylie Falcione and René Weber, was published in JAMA Network Open. The study examined data from 4,289 adolescents across the United States, tracking them over several years and considering factors such as depression, anxiety, previous gaming disorders, impulsivity, bullying, and adverse life events.
“We’ve known for some time that gaming disorder exists, but we’ve also known that not every gamer develops the disorder,” Falcione said. “So the question that a lot of researchers have been asking about is what drives people to develop a gaming disorder. Is it the addictive nature of all these rewards and punishments of the video games themselves? Or is it that some people have preexisting conditions or personal core characteristics that are leading them to develop a gaming disorder?” The results of Falcione and Weber’s research points to the latter.
Falcione explained their findings: “The results we found were clear and consistent. The kids who were already having depressive symptoms and social issues were more likely to get stuck in a cycle of problematic gaming.”
She added: “What the study showed was that the underlying issue started beforehand and that the addictive gaming behaviors were, in a way, a symptom or a manifestation of those preexisting psychopathologies. For these kids, gaming had become an unhealthy coping mechanism.”
Weber noted prior research has suggested a possible “downward spiral” where psychopathology and gaming disorder reinforce each other over time. He cautioned about determining cause and effect: “Our study cannot fully rule out such a bidirectional relationship,” he said. “In this ‘downward spiral’ association, the question of cause and effect can become blurry.”
The researchers believe their findings may help guide future treatment approaches for adolescents struggling with problematic gaming.
“Based on our research, the best step towards treatment would be to start at the psychopathology level — identify the underlying issues,” Falcione said. “That’s a big takeaway.”
She also addressed common misconceptions among parents: “Many parents think that simply taking away video games will solve the problem,” she added. “But without addressing what’s really going on, parents will not only be contending with their child’s withdrawal symptoms, their child may relapse into more addictive gaming behaviors or find another outlet.”
Globally, studies estimate that around 3% of gamers experience gaming disorder; however, prevalence varies based on definitions used and sample characteristics.
