Personality traits and psychopathology in adolescents with videogame addiction

• Published in: Adicciones (Palma de Mallorca) 2023-07, Vol.35 (2), p.151-164
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Llorens, Marta, Marí-Sanmillán, María Isabel, Benito, Ana, Rodríguez-Ruiz, Francesc, Castellano-García, Francisca, Almodóvar, Isabel, Haro, Gonzalo
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: Adolescent; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Personality; Technology Addiction; Video Games - psychology
• ISSN: 0214-4840
• DOI: 10.20882/adicciones.1629

Gaming disorder (GD) was recently included in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five secondary schools, with a final sample of 119 students. A diagnosis of GD was made in 6.4% (n = 23) of this sample. Compared with healthy subjects, adolescents with GD showed low levels of conscientiousness (F = 7.82; p = .001) and agreeableness (F = 3.31; p = .041) and scored higher in school maladjustment (SMC; F = 9.23; p < .001). Two discriminating functions were obtained that allowed us to predict patient group allocation with a success rate of 60.5% (Z1 = 0.406 × Sex + 0.560 × Conscientiousness - 0.677 × SMC; Z2 = 0.915 × Sex + 0.191 × Conscientiousness + 0.326 × SMC). Subjects with addiction differed from healthy subjects in presenting school maladjustment and low consciousness, while both groups of subjects with addiction differed in that video game addiction was proportionally higher in boys. The probability of GD was higher if subjects were male (OR [95% CI]) = 4.82 [1.17-19.81]; p = .029) and had school maladjustment (OR [95% CI] = 1.08 [1-1.17]; p = .047); while that of substance use disorder was higher if the subjects had neuroticism (OR [95% CI] = 1.07 [1-1.14]; p < .040), clinical maladjustment (OR [95% CI] = 1.10 [1.01- 1.20]; p = .020), school maladjustment (OR [95% CI] = 1.06 [1-1.13]; p = .048), low personal adjustment (OR [95% CI] = 0.94 [0.88-0.99]; p = .047) and emotional symptoms (OR [95% CI] = 0.86 [0.78-0.96]; p = .006).