Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kangwon National University Hospital, 156 Baengnyeong-ro, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 24289, South Korea.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Kore.
J Affect Disord. 2022 Jan 15;297:579-585. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.064. Epub 2021 Nov 1.
The number of digital game users is increasing, and so is attention to digital gaming's effects on mental health. We aimed to reveal if risky (game addiction) and usual game use (non-risky) are associated with mental health in early adulthood.
Using data from the nationwide cross-sectional Korean Epidemic Catchment Area study for psychiatric disorders, 415 participants aged 18-30 years were divided into "non-game," "usual game," and "risky game" user groups based on the previous month's game use and cut-off value of game overuse screening questionnaire. Multiple linear and logistic regressions revealed the association between game use groups, perceived mental health, and lifetime prevalence of clinical mental disorders including suicidal ideation.
Among the 415 participants, 167 were non-game users, 175, usual game users, and 73, risky game users. Risky game users self-reported decreased satisfaction and happiness, and a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder, alcohol dependence, and suicidal ideation. Usual game users were significantly associated with higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence and suicidal ideation. Self-reported happiness partially mediated between game use and lifetime suicidal ideation in risky, but not usual game users.
This study is a cross-sectional observational study which was not possible to define the temporal relationship.
Both risky and usual game use are associated with mental health problems in early adulthood, indicating the need for careful mental health screening on not only risky game users but also usual game users.
数字游戏用户数量不断增加，人们对数字游戏对心理健康的影响的关注度也越来越高。我们旨在揭示风险（游戏成瘾）和正常游戏使用（非风险）是否与成年早期的心理健康有关。
使用来自全国性横断面韩国流行疾病区域研究精神障碍的数据，根据前一个月的游戏使用情况和游戏过度筛查问卷的截止值，将 415 名年龄在 18-30 岁的参与者分为“非游戏”、“正常游戏”和“风险游戏”用户组。多元线性和逻辑回归揭示了游戏使用组、感知心理健康状况与包括自杀意念在内的终生临床精神障碍患病率之间的关联。
在 415 名参与者中，167 名是非游戏使用者，175 名是正常游戏使用者，73 名是风险游戏使用者。风险游戏使用者自我报告满意度和幸福感下降，且终生重度抑郁症、酒精依赖和自杀意念的患病率显著较高。正常游戏使用者与酒精依赖和自杀意念终生患病率显著相关。幸福感自评在风险游戏使用者但不在正常游戏使用者中部分介导了游戏使用与终生自杀意念之间的关系。
本研究是一项横断面观察性研究，无法确定时间关系。
风险和正常游戏使用均与成年早期的心理健康问题有关，这表明不仅需要对风险游戏使用者，而且需要对正常游戏使用者进行仔细的心理健康筛查。
