Alrahili Nader, Alreefi Mohammad, Alkhonain Issa M, Aldakhilallah Malak, Alothaim Jamal, Alzahrani Abdulwahed, Alshargi Abdulrahman, Baabbad Nuran
Psychiatry, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU.
Pediatrics, King Abdullah Pediatric Hospital, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Aug 4;15(8):e42957. doi: 10.7759/cureus.42957. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Background and objective Video games have become a popular source of entertainment among children and adolescents, not only targeting the young generation but also increasingly popular among older demographics as well. This study aimed to assess the association between video game addiction and depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study involving Saudi adolescents aged 12-16 years. A self-administered online survey was distributed on social media (Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat). The survey addressed sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, area of residence city, etc.). Arabic versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (PHQ-GAD7), the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS), and the seven-item Game Addiction Scale (GAS-7) questionnaires were distributed as well, including Arabic terms for depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Results A total of 393 surveys were completed (males: 58.3% vs. females: 41.7%). Of note, 63.1% of the respondents reported playing video games every day with an average of more than five hours of gaming time per day (25.2%). The prevalence of video game addiction was 62.1%. Independent risk factors of video game addiction included being young in age, playing video games every day, playing more than three hours per day, and playing multiplayer games. Furthermore, our findings suggest that a higher video game addiction score is correlated with higher scores in inattention, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion This study found a high prevalence of video game addiction among Saudi children and adolescents. Excessive video game playing negatively influences mental health and leads to issues including anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Also, younger males with an increased rate of regular playtime were more likely to exhibit video game addiction in comparison to the rest of the population. Further research is required to more comprehensively assess the prevalence rate of video game addiction and its effect on the mental health of the younger generation within the region.
背景与目的 电子游戏已成为儿童和青少年中一种流行的娱乐方式，不仅吸引年轻一代，在年龄较大的人群中也越来越受欢迎。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯儿童和青少年中电子游戏成瘾与抑郁、焦虑和注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）之间的关联。
材料与方法 这是一项横断面研究，涉及12至16岁的沙特青少年。通过社交媒体（推特、WhatsApp和Snapchat）发放了一份自填式在线调查问卷。该调查涉及社会人口学特征（即年龄、性别、居住城市地区等）。还发放了阿拉伯语版的患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）、七项广泛性焦虑障碍量表（PHQ-GAD7）、ADHD评定量表-IV（ADHD-RS）和七项游戏成瘾量表（GAS-7）问卷，其中包括抑郁、焦虑和ADHD的阿拉伯语术语。
结果 共完成393份调查问卷（男性：58.3%，女性：41.7%）。值得注意的是，63.1%的受访者表示每天玩电子游戏，平均每天游戏时间超过5小时（25.2%）。游戏成瘾的患病率为62.1%。电子游戏成瘾的独立危险因素包括年龄小、每天玩电子游戏、每天玩游戏超过3小时以及玩多人游戏。此外，我们的研究结果表明，较高的游戏成瘾得分与注意力不集中、焦虑和抑郁得分较高相关。
结论 本研究发现沙特儿童和青少年中游戏成瘾的患病率很高。过度玩电子游戏会对心理健康产生负面影响，并导致焦虑、抑郁和ADHD等问题。此外，与其他人群相比，经常玩游戏时间增加的年轻男性更有可能表现出游戏成瘾。需要进一步研究以更全面地评估该地区游戏成瘾的患病率及其对年轻一代心理健康的影响。
