Verlinden Marina, Thomas Justin, Almansoori Mahra Hasan Abdulla Ahamed, Wanigaratne Shamil
College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
National Rehabilitation Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Front Psychiatry. 2021 May 25;12:659508. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.659508. eCollection 2021.
The present study examined Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and depressive symptom levels among a predominantly female sample of college students from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). IGD was assessed among two successive cohorts of students at the beginning of the academic year in 2016 and 2019, respectively. All participants ( = 412) completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) and the WHO-5 Well-being Index (WHO-5), a tool widely used for the screening and assessment of depressive symptomatology. Mean IGDS9-SF scores (15.85, = 6.40) were fairly similar to those observed in other nations. The prevalence of IGD was 1.45%, based on the stringent cut-off score (> = 40). Prevalence of IGD rose to 18.20% when using the less stringent cut-off (> = 21). There was an increase in the rate of IGD between 2016 and 2019, although not statistically significant. Higher IGDS9-SF scores were associated with greater depressive symptomatology; those scoring above the less stringent IGD cut-off had a greater likelihood of screening positive for depression OR = 2.28, 95% CI (1.176-4.428). This study provides insights about IGD among a predominantly female Arab population, finding a correlation with mood disorder symptomatology and suggesting an increase in problematic gaming over time. The results are discussed with reference to the mood repair hypothesis and the possibility of IGD being a dual disorder. The association with depressive symptoms is also discussed in light of the neurobiology of addictive behaviors and sexual dimorphism.
本研究调查了阿联酋（UAE）以女性为主的大学生样本中的网络成瘾障碍（IGD）和抑郁症状水平。分别在2016年和2019学年开始时，对连续两届学生进行了IGD评估。所有参与者（n = 412）完成了网络成瘾障碍量表简版（IGDS9-SF）和WHO-5幸福指数（WHO-5），后者是一种广泛用于筛查和评估抑郁症状的工具。IGDS9-SF的平均得分（15.85，标准差 = 6.40）与其他国家观察到的得分相当相似。基于严格的临界分数（>= 40），IGD的患病率为1.45%。使用不太严格的临界值（>= 21）时，IGD的患病率升至18.20%。2016年至2019年期间IGD的发生率有所上升，尽管无统计学意义。IGDS9-SF得分越高，抑郁症状越严重；得分高于不太严格的IGD临界值的人筛查出抑郁症阳性的可能性更大（比值比 = 2.28，95%可信区间[1.176 - 4.428]）。本研究提供了关于以女性为主的阿拉伯人群中IGD的见解，发现其与情绪障碍症状存在相关性，并表明问题游戏行为随时间增加。结合情绪修复假说以及IGD可能是一种双重障碍的可能性对结果进行了讨论。还根据成瘾行为的神经生物学和性别差异讨论了与抑郁症状的关联。
