The temporal stability of problematic gaming and gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IF 2.8 Q1 Psychology

Addictive Behaviors Reports Pub Date : 2025-02-22 DOI:10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100592

An-Pyng Sun , Chih-Hsiang Ho , Daria J. Kuss , Chad L. Cross

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Classifying problematic gaming/gaming disorder as a formal psychiatric diagnosis requires data on its level of temporal stability: are the dysfunctional symptoms transient or can they persist in the absence of treatment? To evaluate this question, we conducted a literature review and meta-analysis to investigate temporal stability in problematic gaming/gaming disorder. We identified 50 relevant longitudinal studies on PubMed, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS. Our review and meta-analysis engaged on two types of temporal stability: categorical stability and dimensional stability. We used MetaXL to run the meta-analysis for categorical stability. Our meta-analysis revealed that overall, the categorical stability rate was approximately 34–38% for the 2-year follow-up studies and approximately 43–45% for the 1-year follow-up studies. This indicates that between 1/3 and 1/2 of the gamers who initially met the threshold for problematic gaming/gaming disorder continued to meet such a threshold at follow-ups. Our meta-analysis included predominantly adolescent groups, which should be noted when generalizing the obtained categorical stability rates. Our review results also showed that overall, the dimensional stability was positive and statistically significant, indicating moderate or high correlations between symptom severity at baseline and at follow-ups. Temporal stability can be a complex concept. Our results suggest that although the categorical stability of problematic gaming/gaming disorder is not as strong as some major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it is similar to personality disorder and gambling disorder. Many complex factors may affect the temporal stability of problematic gaming/gaming disorder, possibly including severity of the disorder, whether the data is from clinical or nonclinical populations, and an individual’s age group or developmental stage. More methodologically rigorous longitudinal studies that address these issues are needed.

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问题游戏和游戏障碍的时间稳定性：系统回顾和元分析

将有问题的游戏/游戏障碍归类为正式的精神病诊断需要关于其时间稳定性水平的数据：功能失调症状是短暂的还是在没有治疗的情况下持续存在？为了评估这个问题，我们进行了文献回顾和荟萃分析，以调查问题游戏/游戏障碍的时间稳定性。我们在PubMed、PsycINFO和SCOPUS上确定了50个相关的纵向研究。我们的回顾和荟萃分析涉及两种类型的时间稳定性：分类稳定性和维度稳定性。我们使用MetaXL对分类稳定性进行meta分析。我们的荟萃分析显示，总体而言，2年随访研究的分类稳定性率约为34-38%，1年随访研究的分类稳定性率约为43-45%。这表明1/3至1/2最初达到问题游戏/游戏障碍阈值的玩家在随访中继续达到这一阈值。我们的荟萃分析主要包括青少年群体，在推广所获得的分类稳定性率时应注意这一点。我们的回顾结果还显示，总体而言，维度稳定性为正且具有统计学意义，表明基线和随访时症状严重程度之间存在中度或高度相关性。时间稳定性是一个复杂的概念。我们的研究结果表明，尽管问题游戏/游戏障碍的分类稳定性不如精神分裂症和双相情感障碍等主要精神疾病强，但与人格障碍和赌博障碍相似。许多复杂的因素可能会影响问题游戏/游戏障碍的时间稳定性，可能包括障碍的严重程度，数据是否来自临床或非临床人群，以及个人的年龄组或发展阶段。需要更多方法上严谨的纵向研究来解决这些问题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Addictive Behaviors Reports Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Addictive Behaviors Reports is an open-access and peer reviewed online-only journal offering an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of research in addictive behaviors. The journal accepts submissions that are scientifically sound on all forms of addictive behavior (alcohol, drugs, gambling, Internet, nicotine and technology) with a primary focus on behavioral and psychosocial research. The emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance. We are particularly interested in ''non-traditional'', innovative and empirically oriented research such as negative/null data papers, replication studies, case reports on novel treatments, and cross-cultural research. Studies that might encourage new lines of inquiry as well as scholarly commentaries on topical issues, systematic reviews, and mini reviews are also very much encouraged. We also welcome multimedia submissions that incorporate video or audio components to better display methodology or findings.