How symptoms of internet gaming problems, depression, and anxiety relate to each other in middle and late adolescence

A total of 3296 middle and late adolescents were included in the study investigating the relationships among internet gaming disorder, depression, and anxiety.

• Significant differences exist between middle and late adolescents in how symptoms of gaming disorder, depression, and anxiety interact over time.
• Middle adolescents showed a tendency for symptoms to predict the same disorder's subsequent symptoms.
• Late adolescents demonstrated stronger interconnections among symptoms across different mental health conditions.
• Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness had the most significant short-term impact on middle adolescents, while these feelings continued to affect late adolescents in the long term.
• Restlessness was identified as a key symptom for middle adolescents, whereas suicidal thoughts or self-harm were crucial for late adolescents.

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