A longitudinal study on psychosocial causes and consequences of Internet gaming disorder in adolescence
Abstract
Background: In 2013, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was incorporated in the current version of the DSM-5. IGD refers to a problematic use of video games. Longitudinal studies on the etiology of IGD are lacking. Furthermore, it is currently unclear to which extent associated psychopathological problems are causes or consequences of IGD. In the present survey, longitudinal associations between IGD and adolescent and parental mental health were investigated for the first time, as well as the temporal stability of IGD. Methods: In a cross-lagged panel design study, family dyads (adolescent with a parent each) were examined in 2016 (t1) and again 1 year later (2017, t2). Overall, 1095 family dyads were assessed at t1 and 985 dyads were re-assessed at t2 with standardized measures of IGD and several aspects of adolescent and parental mental health. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Male gender, a higher level of hyperactivity/inattention, self-esteem problems and IGD at t1 were predictors of IGD at t2. IGD at t1 was a predictor for adolescent emotional distress at t2. Overall, 357 out of the 985 adolescents received a diagnosis of IGD at t1 or t2: 142 (14.4%) at t1 and t2, 100 (10.2%) only at t1, and 115 (11.7%) only at t2. Conclusions: Hyperactivity/inattention and self-esteem problems seem to be important for the development of IGD. We found first empirical evidence that IGD could prospectively contribute to a deterioration of adolescent mental health. Only a subgroup of affected adolescents showed IGD consistently over 1 year.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Longitudinal studies indicate that sustained problematic gaming behaviours are associated with psychopathological symptoms over time (e.g., anxiety and depressive symptoms) and predict decrements in functional outcomes (e.g., school performance).
“Longitudinal studies have indicated that sustained problematic gaming behaviours are associated with psychopathological symptoms over time (e.g., anxiety and depressive symptoms) and predict decrements in functional outcomes (e.g., school performance) 144-146 .”
Cites
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note
Goodman, R. (1997) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x · Cited by 14,908 · see citing works
Practical Statistics for Medical Research.
Walter, S., & Altman, D. G. (1992) · Biometrics · doi:10.2307/2532320 · Cited by 11,665 · see citing works
Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003) · Department of Psychology - University of Koblenz-Landau · doi:10.23668/psycharchives.12784 · Cited by 8,975 · see citing works
The Patient Health Questionnaire-2: Validity of a Two-Item Depression Screener
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2003) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/01.mlr.0000093487.78664.3c · Cited by 6,359 · see citing works
Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Monahan, P. O., & Löwe, B. (2007) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004 · Cited by 4,741 · see citing works
Pathological Video Game Use Among Youths: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study
Gentile, D. A., Choo, H., Liau, A., Sim, T., Li, D., Fung, D., & Khoo, A. (2011) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1353 · Cited by 1,314 · see citing works
Measuring DSM-5 Internet gaming disorder: Development and validation of a short psychometric scale
Pontes, H. M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.006 · Cited by 1,151 · see citing works
Practical Statistics for Medical Research
Newcombe, R. G. (1992) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech.46.5.549-a · Cited by 991 · see citing works
Petry, N. M., Rehbein, F., Gentile, D. A., Lemmens, J. S., Rumpf, H., Mößle, T., Bischof, G., Tao, R., Fung, D. S. S., Borges, G., et al. (2014) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.12457 · Cited by 919 · see citing works
The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale.
Lemmens, J. S., Valkenburg, P. M., & Gentile, D. A. (2015) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000062 · Cited by 742 · see citing works
Psychosocial causes and consequences of pathological gaming
Lemmens, J. S., Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2010) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.015 · Cited by 624 · see citing works
Rehbein, F., Kliem, S., Baier, D., Mößle, T., & Petry, N. M. (2015) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.12849 · Cited by 567 · see citing works
Brunborg, G. S., Mentzoni, R. A., & Frøyland, L. R. (2014) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/jba.3.2014.002 · Cited by 445 · see citing works
Király, O., Sleczka, P., Pontes, H. M., Urbán, R., Griffiths, M. D., & Demetrovics, Z. (2015) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.11.005 · Cited by 425 · see citing works
Ko, C.-H., Yen, J.-Y., Chen, S.-H., Wang, P.-W., Chen, C.-S., & Yen, C.-F. (2014) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.02.008 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Internet Gaming Disorder in the DSM-5
Petry, N. M., Rehbein, F., Ko, C., & O’Brien, C. P. (2015) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-015-0610-0 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Internet Gaming Disorder and the DSM-5: Conceptualization, Debates, and Controversies
Király, O., Griffiths, M. D., & Demetrovics, Z. (2015) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-015-0066-7 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
The Cognitive Psychopathology of Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescence
King, D. L., & Delfabbro, P. (2016) · Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology · doi:10.1007/s10802-016-0135-y · Cited by 229 · see citing works
Pontes, H. M., Macur, M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2016) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.5.2016.042 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Natural course of behavioral addictions: a 5-year longitudinal study
Thege, B. K., Woodin, E. M., Hodgins, D. C., & Williams, R. J. (2015) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0383-3 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Wartberg, L., Kriston, L., Krämer, M., Schwedler-Diesener, A., Lincoln, T. M., & Kammerl, R. (2017) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.12.013 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Self-citationvan Rooij, A. J., Schoenmakers, T. M., & van de Mheen, D. (2017) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.10.018 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Yu, H., & Cho, J. (2016) · American Journal of Health Behavior · doi:10.5993/ajhb.40.6.3 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Scharkow, M., Festl, R., & Quandt, T. (2014) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.12662 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
The Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Internet Gaming Disorder
Wartberg, L., Kriston, L., & Thomasius, R. (2017) · Deutsches Ärzteblatt international · doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0419 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Self-citationWartberg, L., Kriston, L., & Kammerl, R. (2017) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0535 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Self-citationKoo, H. J., Han, D. H., Park, S., & Kwon, J. (2017) · Psychiatry Investigation · doi:10.4306/pi.2017.14.1.21 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Adolescentes con Trastorno por juego en Internet (IGD): perfiles y respuesta al tratamiento
Martín-Fernández, M. A., Matalí, J. L., García-Sánchez, S., Pardo, M., de Frutos, M. L., & Castellano‐Tejedor, C. (2016) · Adicciones · doi:10.20882/adicciones.890 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Global prevalence of gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Stevens, M. W., Dorstyn, D., Delfabbro, P. H., & King, D. L. (2021) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0004867420962851 · Cited by 863 · see citing works
“Some studies have reported figures between 1% and 2% (Haagsma et al., 2012; Müller et al., 2015; Rehbein et al., 2015), whereas other estimates have been as high as 14% (Wang et al., 2015; Wartberg et al., 2019) and even in excess of 20% (Vadlin et al., 2018).”
BackgroundGao, Y., Wang, J.-Y., & Dong, G. (2022) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.049 · Cited by 413 · see citing works
Prevalence of gaming disorder: A meta-analysis
Kim, H. S., Son, G., Roh, E.-B., Ahn, W., Kim, J., Shin, S.-H., Chey, J., & Choi, K. (2021) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107183 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Teng, Z., Pontes, H. M., Nie, Q., Griffiths, M. D., & Guo, C. (2021) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2021.00016 · Cited by 302 · see citing works
Wartberg, L., Kriston, L., & Thomasius, R. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.09.014 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Self-citationReed, G. M., First, M. B., Billieux, J., Cloitre, M., Briken, P., Achab, S., Brewin, C. R., King, D. L., Kraus, S. W., & Bryant, R. A. (2022) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20960 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Teng, Z., Pontes, H. M., Nie, Q., Xiang, G., Griffiths, M. D., & Guo, C. (2020) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106530 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Paschke, K., Austermann, M. I., & Thomasius, R. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm9040993 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Thorell, L. B., Burén, J., Ström Wiman, J., Sandberg, D., & Nutley, S. B. (2024) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-022-02130-3 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
“Regarding studies examining associations between ADHD symptoms and later gaming addiction, all studies except three [41, 42, 46] found significant relations [61–63, 65– 67 ], when controlling for baseline levels.”
BackgroundResultNielsen, P., Favez, N., & Rigter, H. (2020) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-020-00320-0 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Stavropoulos, V., Adams, B. L. M., Beard, C. L., Dumble, E., Trawley, S. L., Gomez, R., & Pontes, H. M. (2019) · Addictive Behaviors Reports · doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2018.100158 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Dullur, P., Krishnan, V., & Diaz, A. M. (2020) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.026 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Zhuang, X., Zhang, Y., Tang, X., Ng, T. K., Lin, J., & Yang, X. (2023) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00017 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Gaming Disorder Across the Lifespan: a Scoping Review of Longitudinal Studies
Richard, J., Temcheff, C. E., & Derevensky, J. L. (2020) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-020-00339-3 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Yang, X., Guo, W., Tao, Y., Meng, Y., Wang, H.-Y., Li, X., Zhang, Y., Zeng, J., Tang, W., Wang, Q., et al. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.013 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Chang, C.-W., Huang, R., Strong, C., Lin, Y.-C., Tsai, M., Chen, I., Lin, C., Pakpour, A. H., & Griffiths, M. D. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.858482 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Risk factors of internet gaming disorder symptoms in Spanish adolescents
Fumero, A., Marrero, R. J., Pérez, J. M. B., & Peñate, W. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106416 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Gaming Disorder: A systematic review exploring the user-avatar relationship in videogames
Szolin, K., Kuss, D. J., Nuyens, F. M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.107124 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Coyne, S. M., Stockdale, L., Warburton, W., Gentile, D. A., Yang, C., & Merrill, B. M. (2020) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0000939 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Dong, G., Wang, M., Zheng, H., Wang, Z., Du, X., & Potenza, M. N. (2020) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s003329172000032x · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Leménager, T., Neissner, M., Sabo, T., Mann, K. F., & Kiefer, F. (2020) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-020-00307-x · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Richard, J., Fletcher, É., Boutin, S., Derevensky, J. L., & Temcheff, C. E. (2020) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2020.00045 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“This study was an extension of Wartberg and colleagues (2017) and they reported that CP at baseline did not predict PVG one year later when accounting for other psychosocial predictors (Wartberg et al., 2019).”
Guo, W., Tao, Y., Li, X., Xia, L., Meng, Y., Yang, X., Wang, H., Zhang, Y., Tang, W., Wang, Q., et al. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/17560 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“A higher level of hyperactivity/inattention and self-esteem problems were predictors of IGD, and IGD was a predictor of adolescent emotional distress in the context of further longitudinal work [28].”
BackgroundProblematic gaming behavior and the personality traits of video gamers: A cross-sectional survey.
Dieris-Hirche, J., Pape, M., Wildt, B. T. T., Kehyayan, A., Esch, M., Aicha, S., Herpertz, S., & Bottel, L. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106272 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Koncz, P., Demetrovics, Z., Takács, Z. K., Griffiths, M. D., Nagy, T., & Király, O. (2023) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102343 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Wachs, S., Mazzone, A., Milošević, T., Wright, M. F., Blaya, C., Gámez‐Guadix, M., & Norman, J. O. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.106872 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Hygen, B. W., Skalická, V., Stenseng, F., Belsky, J., Steinsbekk, S., & Wichstrøm, L. (2020) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13289 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“Another limitation of much available work is reliance on regression-type analytic strategies, including autoregressive cross-lagged models (Lemmens et al., 2011; Wartberg et al., 2019), in which estimates stem from a mixture of betweenperson and within-person information.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialJeong, B., Lee, J. Y., Kim, B. M., Park, E., Kwon, J.-G., Kim, D.-J., Lee, Y., Choi, J.-S., & Lee, D. (2020) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106485 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Liu, Y., Gong, R., Yu, Y., Chen, X., Yu, X., Chang, R., Wang, H., Wang, S., Wang, Q., & Cai, Y. (2021) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.06.008 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Wang, P., Pan, R., Wu, X., Zhu, G.-C., Wang, Y., Tian, M., Sun, Y., & Wang, J. (2022) · Addictive Behaviours · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107256 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Wartberg, L., Zieglmeier, M., & Kammerl, R. (2019) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2018.0456 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“17,18 To summarize, the empirical results for the IGDS are indicative of a one-dimensional factor structure, show acceptable to good reliability, and there are first indications for the criterion validity of the questionnaire.”
Self-citationNielsen, P., Christensen, M., Henderson, C., Liddle, H. A., Croquette-Krokar, M., Favez, N., & Rigter, H. (2021) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2021.00022 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Internet addiction and loneliness as predictors of internet gaming disorder in adolescents
Traş, Z. (2019) · Educational Research and Reviews · doi:10.5897/err2019.3768 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
“…al., 2019; Stavropoulos et al., 2019), low self-efficacy (Jeong and Kim, 2011), academic failure, sleep problems (Ferguson et al., 2011), anxiety (Wei et al., 2012; King and Delfabbro, 2014), low self-esteem and impulsivity (Billieux et al., 2015; Gentile et al., 2011), incompatible cognitions…”
BackgroundKaraköse, T., Yıldırım, B., Tülübaş, T., & Kardas, A. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126815 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“One line of research shows that digital addiction could predict depression (Bian and Leung, 2015; Rozgonjuk et al., 2018; Wartberg et al., 2019) while another line of research suggests the opposite, indicating that depression could predict digital addiction (Guillot et al., 2016; Zhou et al., 2017;…”
Lee, J., Bae, S., Kim, B.-N., & Han, D. H. (2021) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13380 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Risk Factors and Preventive Approaches
Bender, P. K., Kim, E., & Gentile, D. A. (2020) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-020-00337-5 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Diagnostic Contribution of the DSM-5 Criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder
Luo, T., Wei, D., Guo, J., Hu, M., Chao, X., Sun, Y., Sun, Q., Xiao, S., & Liao, Y. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.777397 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“(3) the need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in games (i.”
BackgroundKim, D., & Lee, J. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18147275 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“The relationship between psychological problems and IGD is reported globally [7,9], implying a heightened risk of adolescents developing IGD during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
BackgroundKing, D. L., & Gaming Industry Response Consortium (2018) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.14388 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Yuan, G. F., Shi, W., Elhai, J. D., Montag, C., Chang, K., Jackson, T., & Hall, B. J. (2021) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107096 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Ahmed, G. K., Abdalla, A. A., Mohamed, A. M., Mohamed, L. A., & shamaa, H. A. (2022) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health · doi:10.1186/s13034-022-00502-w · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“Additionally, adolescents in Singapore [50] and Germany [51] were found to have longitudinal correlations between emotional problems and the prevalence of IGD.”
BackgroundCoutelle, R., Balzer, J., Rolling, J., & Lalanne, L. (2024) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108091 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Internet Addiction: The Role of Parental Care and Mental Health in Adolescence
Trumello, C., Vismara, L., Sechi, C., Ricciardi, P., Marino, V., & Babore, A. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph182412876 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
“Although the relationship between IA and mental health could be considered bi-directional, two recent longitudinal studies showed that the latter was predictive of the former; research on adolescent girls [41] detected that baseline depressive symptoms were predictive of changes in problematic social media use (but ba…”
ResultMoge, C. E., & Romano, D. M. (2020) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05340 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Marmet, S., Studer, J., Grazioli, V. S., & Gmel, G. E. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00649 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“A more recent longitudinal study of a sample of adolescents (with adolescents at a high risk of GD being oversampled), not included in the above reviews, found that parent-reported hyperactivity/inattention predicted self-reported internet GD 1 year later, but self-reported internet GD did not significantly predict pa…”
BackgroundLeo, K., Kewitz, S., Wartberg, L., & Lindenberg, K. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.787162 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citationLai, W., Wang, W., Li, X., Wang, H., Lu, C., & Guo, L. (2022) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-022-01944-5 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“reported that the self-esteem problem at t1 was a predictor at IGD at t2 [19].”
BackgroundKavanagh, M., Brett, C., & Brignell, C. M. (2023) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.107776 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“Three studies indicated that lower self-esteem at time-point one predicted GD at time-point two (Jeong et al., 2021; Lemmens et al., 2011; Wartberg et al., 2019).”
InfluentialWang, J., Wang, N., Liu, P., & Liu, Y. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-02372-1 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Pontes, H. M., Schivinski, B., Brzozowska-Woś, M., & Stavropoulos, V. (2019) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm8101730 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Although these associations were derived from cross-sectional research, additional longitudinal evidence exists supporting the notion that video game addiction can prospectively contribute to deteriorated overall mental health [28], decreased quality of life [29], reduced levels of sport and exercise engagement [30],…”
BackgroundBenarous, X., Morales, P., Mayer-Benarous, H., Iancu, C., Edel, Y., & Cohen, D. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00336 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“Such bidirectional interplay between gaming misuse and anxiety/mood symptoms can progressively generate an ongoing cycle of internalizing symptoms (18).”
BackgroundNon-Substance Addiction in Childhood and Adolescence: The Internet, Computer Games and Social Media
Geisel, O., Lipinski, A., & Kaess, M. (2020) · Deutsches Ärzteblatt international · doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0002 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
She, R., Zhang, Y., & Yang, X. (2022) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/33806 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“Such changes at this stage of life may be more frequent and have a more profound impact on one’s behaviors than in other stages (eg, adulthood) [29].”
BackgroundIn-game Social Interaction and Gaming Disorder: A Perspective From Online Social Capital
Heng, S., Zhao, H., & Wang, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.468115 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Gamers’ personality, motives, and psychosocial characteristics have been shown to be predictors of gaming disorder [e.g., (15– 17)].”
BackgroundZhou, J., Zhang, L., & Gong, X. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116162 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Petrescu, T.-C., Błachnio, A., & Enea, V. (2025) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108345 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Dang, L., Yang, H. M., Spada, M. M., & Wu, A. M. S. (2024) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00072 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“…the prospective effects of IGD on depression but not vice versa were found in two other longitudinal studies among adolescents (Wang et al., 2022; Wartberg, Kriston, Zieglmeier, Lincoln, & Kammerl, 2019), while the remaining two studies found reciprocal predictive effects between depression and…”
Neumayer, F., Jantzer, V., Lerch, S., Resch, F., & Kaess, M. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.03.013 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Zhou, J., Zhao, H., Wang, L., & Zhu, D. (2023) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00054 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“…of problematic gaming may experience more internalizing problems, including anxiety, social withdrawal, and depressive symptoms (Jeong et al., 2019; Wartberg et al., 2019; Wichstrøm, Stenseng, Belsky, von Soest, & Hygen, 2019), which may lead to more con fl ict in relationships with family members…”
BackgroundLarrieu, M., Fombouchet, Y., Billieux, J., & Décamps, G. (2023) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.107824 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Nie, Q., Griffiths, M. D., & Teng, Z. (2023) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-023-01890-8 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“However, only a few longitudinal studies (e.g., Teng et al., 2020; Wartberg et al., 2019) have examined these relationships and they have reported mixed results.”
Richard, J., Marchica, L. A., Ivoska, W., & Derevensky, J. L. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18041930 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Düll, L., Müller, A., & Steins‐Loeber, S. (2024) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-024-00554-2 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Xie, Y., & Tang, L. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-81094-7 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Dong, G., Wang, Z., Dong, H., Wang, M., Zheng, Y., Ye, S., Zhang, J., & Potenza, M. N. (2020) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2020.00065 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Reliability, and Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Gaming Disorder Scales: A Meta-Analysis
Yoon, S., Yang, Y., Ro, E., Ahn, W., Kim, J., Shin, S.-H., Chey, J., & Choi, K. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.764209 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“Studies have reported that just as problematic gaming increases psychological distress, psychological factors such as low selfesteem and loneliness also bidirectionally affect or predict problematic gaming (Lemmens et al., 2011; Tian et al., 2017; Tras, 2019; Wartberg et al., 2019).”
BackgroundAkbari, M., Bahadori, M. H., Milan, B. B., Caselli, G., & Spada, M. M. (2021) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106904 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Lee, D., Park, J., Namkoong, K., Hong, S. J., Kim, I. Y., & Jung, Y. (2020) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110127 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Areshtanab, H. N., Fathollahpour, F., Bostanabad, M. A., Ebrahimi, H., Hosseinzadeh, M., & Fooladi, M. M. (2021) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-021-00616-4 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Some of the studies have explored the relationship between IGD and adolescents’ mental health problems [34, 35].”
BackgroundChen, C., Lee, K.-Y., Fung, X. C. C., Chen, J., Lai, Y.-C., Potenza, M. N., Chang, K., Fang, C., Pakpour, A. H., & Lin, C. (2024) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s449369 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“22,23 Given that impulsivity, hyper-activity, and inattention are features of ADHD, we speculated that people with ADHD may experience more significant psychological distress resulting from online gaming activities and possibly other types of PUI.”
Pivetta, E., Marino, C., Bottesi, G., Pastore, M., Vieno, A., & Canale, N. (2023) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.108058 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Choi, E., Shin, S.-H., Ryu, J.-K., Jung, K.-I., Hyun, Y., Kim, J., & Park, M.-H. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/25793 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“According to the WHO’s announcement, the diagnosis of GD should be based on the report of symptoms for more than 12 months [7]; only a subgroup of individuals were found to show persistent symptoms of GD over 12 months [44].”
MethodGan, X., Xiang, G.-X., Li, H., Shao-hua, W., Jin, X., & Zhu, C.-S. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.819324 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Long-term effects of psychosocial interventions on internet-related disorders: A meta-analysis
Lo, C. K. M., Chan, K. L., Yu, L., Chui, W. W. H., & Ip, P. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107465 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Shang, R., Pang, H.-S., Jiang, J., Ji, Y., Liu, Q., Zhang, M., Yang, R., Li, S., Li, Y., & Liu, Q. (2023) · Child Care Health and Development · doi:10.1111/cch.13160 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Shen, X., Zhou, X., Liao, H., McDonnell, D., & Wang, J. (2024) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.025 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Wang, R., Yang, S., Yan, Y., Tian, Y., & Wang, P. (2021) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare9091188 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“(2019) showed that the IGT at T1 significantly positively predicted IGD at T2, that is, IGD is on the rise [22].”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialXu, P., Hao, X., Luo, D., Lai, M., Sun, X., & Xu, J. (2023) · Comprehensive Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152398 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Psychopathology and Gaming Disorder in Adolescents
Falcione, K., & Weber, R. (2025) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.28532 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Subtyping treatment-seeking gaming disorder patients
Granero, R., Fernández-Aranda, F., Castro-Calvo, J., Billieux, J., Valero-Solís, S., Mora-Maltas, B., Rivas-Pérez, S., Valenciano-Mendoza, E., del Pino-Gutiérrez, A., Gómez-Peña, M., et al. (2021) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107086 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Cheng, Y., Jiang, S., & Chen, J. (2024) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107492 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Ko, C., Király, O., Demetrovics, Z., Chang, Y.-M., & Yen, J. (2020) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2020.00058 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Jeong, H., Yim, H. W., Lee, S., Lee, H. K., Potenza, M. N., & Park, M. (2021) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2021.00030 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Ko, M., Chi, S., Lee, J., Suh, S., & Lee, M. (2023) · Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience · doi:10.9758/cpn.2023.21.2.304 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“associated with cyber addiction symptoms [50,51].”
Amendola, S., Spensieri, V., Biuso, G. S., & Cerutti, R. (2020) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12664 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Richard, J., Temcheff, C. E., Fletcher, É., Lemieux, A., Derevensky, J. L., & Déry, M. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.107096 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Identifying research streams in online gambling and gaming literature: A bibliometric analysis
Stehmann, J. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.106219 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Paschke, K., Sack, P., & Thomasius, R. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18031095 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Convergent validity is supported by small to medium correlations of the IGDS sum score with psychological constructs like aggressiveness and antisocial behavior, anger control and hyperactivity, loneliness and emotional distress, low self-esteem, life satisfaction, and prosocial behavior [19,24,25].”
BackgroundKewitz, S., Vonderlin, E., Wartberg, L., & Lindenberg, K. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18136787 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“However, our findings contradict previous findings on comorbid IGD and depressive disorders [14,17,21].”
ResultSelf-citationGan, X., Xiang, G.-X., Jin, X., Zhu, C.-S., & Yu, C. (2022) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-022-00895-x · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“In a longitudinal study, Wartberg et al., (2019) have repeatedly indicated that self-esteem is an effective predictor of IGD 1 year later during early adolescence.”
Antons, S., Liebherr, M., Brand, M., & Brandtner, A. (2023) · Addictive Behaviors Reports · doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100520 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“However, when individuals engage excessively in videogames, the positive effects sometimes turn into negative ones, affecting important areas of daily life and/or causing marked distress (Altintas et al., 2019; Mihara & Higuchi, 2017; Montag & Pontes, 2023; Wartberg et al., 2019).”
BackgroundMeng, Y., Shi, X., Cai, D., Ran, M., Ye, A., & Qiu, C. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.06.020 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Neuropsychological Constructs in Gaming Disorders: a Systematic Review
Legault, M. C. B., Liu, H. Z., & Balodis, I. M. (2021) · Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports · doi:10.1007/s40473-021-00230-z · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Neural mechanisms of behavioral addiction: An ALE meta-analysis and MACM analysis
Li, Z., He, Q., Elhai, J. D., Montag, C., & Yang, H. (2025) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2024.00082 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“…comorbid mental disorders, such as atten-tion-de fi cit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Michael & Seymour, 2023; Wang, Yin, Wang, King, & Rost, 2024; Wartberg, Kriston, Zieglmeier, Lincoln, & Kammerl, 2019) or depression and anxiety disorders (Qu et al., 2024; Teng, Pontes, Nie, Grif fi ths, & Guo,…”
Amendola, S., Bernath, J., Presaghi, F., Waller, G., & Hengartner, M. P. (2025) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.108 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Ma, X., Wang, M., Zhou, W., Zhang, Z., Ni, H., Jiang, A., Zheng, Y., Du, X., Potenza, M. N., & Dong, G. (2024) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2024.00011 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Zhao, W., Wei, T., Zhou, R., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Ren, Z., Shao, W., Luo, H., Zhou, Y., Chen, N., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.713364 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Cudo, A., Kopiś-Posiej, N., & Griffiths, M. D. (2023) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s435125 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Chau, C., Chan, R. S. W., Liang, J., & Poon, K. (2024) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2024.108179 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Pannu, A. S., & Goyal, R. K. (2024) · Current Drug Safety · doi:10.2174/0115748863301630240417071353 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wartberg, L., Kriston, L., Zieglmeier, M., Lincoln, T., & Kammerl, R.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Wartberg, Lutz
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2018-04-06
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 287-294
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2795455895
- Cited by
- 270
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 48.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- internet gaming disorder, adolescents, psychosocial etiology, hyperactivity/inattention, self-esteem problems, emotional distress, parental mental health, family dyads, temporal stability, DSM-5
- MeSH terms
- Psychological Distress, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Self Concept, Behavior, Addictive, Video Games, Internet
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review