College Student Video Gaming: Risk or Resilience for Mental Health?

Video gaming has become a popular method of entertainment for college students. Previous work indicates mixed results regarding the link between video gaming and mental health outcomes. However, little research has addressed how different genres of video games might produce various mental health outcomes. The current study examined whether video game genre enjoyment moderated the links between time spent playing video games and anxiety and stress in college students. College students responded to measures assessing various components of mental health indicating their engagement with various genres of video games. Results indicated no evidence of moderation in all genres of video games. The only significant association to emerge was that of time spent playing life simulation games and anxiety. Our findings demonstrate a minimal influence of video gaming on stress and anxiety levels among college students. Discussed are rationales for the null results and future directions for video game focused research.