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Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Risk Factors and Preventive Approaches

  • Gaming (H-J Rumpf, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Gaming disorder can play a role in child and adolescent psychopathology, as research has associated gaming disorder with a range of negative psychosocial outcomes. Since any dysfunctional behavior can have important long-term consequences, approaches to prevent gaming behavior in youth from becoming problematic are clearly called for. In this paper, we discuss some of the risk factors that have been associated with gaming disorder in youth.

Recent Findings

Potential risk factors for gaming disorder in youth include attention problems, emotion dysregulation, problematic family relationships, and in-game needs satisfaction at the expense of needs satisfaction in daily life. These factors are related not only to gaming disorders but also to some of the other mental health issues that gaming disorder has been associated with.

Summary

Possible prevention strategies could focus on reducing attentional and cognitive issues among youth, which could be implemented in school settings via group training sessions. Approaches targeting emotion regulation skills would also be useful. Early intervention to alleviate poor family functioning could also be considered.

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Notes

  1. We do not suggest that other types of games may not be able to fulfill those same needs; however, in order to satisfy a need for relatedness, one needs to be able to meet and communicate with other people—a feature that is built into the idea of MMO games.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Teglgårds Plads 1; Room 12.05, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    Patrick K. Bender

  2. Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    El-Lim Kim & Douglas A. Gentile

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  1. Patrick K. Bender
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Bender, P.K., Kim, EL. & Gentile, D.A. Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Risk Factors and Preventive Approaches. Curr Addict Rep 7, 553–560 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00337-5

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