Developmental trajectories and predictors of Internet gaming disorder across the university years: A person-centered five-wave cohort study

Oct 31, 2023Addictive behaviors

How Internet gaming problems develop and what predicts them during university years

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Abstract

Among 5787 university students, 87.42% exhibited a stable-low trajectory of internet gaming disorder (IGD) over time.

Three distinct trajectories of IGD were identified: stable-low, increasing, and decreasing.
Self-control and self-compassion were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the stable-low group.
Depressive symptoms and peer conflicts were significant predictors of IGD risk.
Understanding these trajectories may help in targeting high-risk groups for intervention.

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With a rapid rise in internet gaming, internet gaming disorder (IGD) has become a contemporary concern. However, little is known about the long-term dynamic changes in IGD over time. Using a person-centered five-wave longitudinal design, the current study explored the heterogeneous trajectories of IGD among 5787 students during their university years, and examined the role of protective and risk factors in differentiating distinct patterns of IGD. The growth mixture modeling revealed three distinct trajectories of IGD: stable-low pattern (n = 4575, 87.42 %), increasing pattern (n = 357, 6.80 %), and decreasing pattern (n = 302, 5.78 %). Additionally, the students with high self-control and self-compassion were more likely to be in the stable-low group instead of the other risk groups. Depressive symptoms and peer conflicts, as two time-varying variables, were significant risk predictors for IGD. These findings highlight the importance of identifying high-risk groups for IGD and providing them with personalized and effective mental health services to reduce their risk of developing IGD in the future.

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Developmental trajectories and predictors of Internet gaming disorder across the university years: A person-centered five-wave cohort study

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