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Is gaming disorder related to psychological trauma? A scoping review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

H. W. Fung
Affiliation:
1Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University
C. T. Y. Cheung
Affiliation:
2Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
P. Lam
Affiliation:
3Institute of Sociology, National Tsinghua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Province of China
G. F. Yuan
Affiliation:
4South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, Arnold School of Public Health 5Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
M. Y. C. Wong
Affiliation:
6Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong
H. W.-H. Ling
Affiliation:
7Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
S. K. K. Lam
Affiliation:
2Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
A. K. C. Chau*
Affiliation:
8Institute of Health Equity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
V. W. P. Lee
Affiliation:
1Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Gaming disorder has become a global concern and it could have a variety of health and social consequences. The trauma model has been applied to the understanding of different types of addictions as behavioral addictions can sometimes be conceptualized as self-soothing strategies to avoid trauma-related stressors or triggers. However, much less is known about the relationship between trauma exposure and gaming disorder.

Objectives

To inform prevention and intervention strategies and to facilitate further research, we conducted the first scoping review to explore and summarize the literature on the relationship between trauma and gaming disorder.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on the Web of Science, Scopus and ProQuest. We looked for original studies published in English that included a measure of trauma exposure and a measure of gaming disorder symptoms, as well as quantitative data regarding the relationship between trauma exposure and gaming disorder.

Results

The initial search generated 412 articles, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. All of them were cross-sectional studies, recruiting participants from both clinical and non-clinical populations. Twelve of them (80%) reported significant correlations between trauma exposure and the severity of gaming disorder symptoms (r = 0.18 to 0.46, p < 0.010). Several potential mediators, including depressive symptoms and dissociative experiences, have been identified. One study found that parental monitoring moderated the relationship between trauma and gaming disorder symptoms. No studies reported the prevalence of trauma or trauma-related symptoms among people with gaming disorder.

Conclusions

There is some evidence supporting the association between trauma and gaming disorder, at small to medium effect sizes. Future studies should investigate the mediators and moderators underlying the relationship between trauma and gaming disorder. The longitudinal relationship between trauma exposure and the development of gaming disorder should be clarified. A trauma-informed approach may be a helpful strategy to alleviate gaming disorder symptoms.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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