Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108489
Xin Fang , Jingyuan Yang , Bo Liu , Yuhui Wang , Jundong Liao , Li Lei
{"title":"Exploring fear of missing out and problematic social media use among Generation Alpha: a random intercept cross-lagged panel model and cross-lagged panel network analysis","authors":"Xin Fang , Jingyuan Yang , Bo Liu , Yuhui Wang , Jundong Liao , Li Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to examine the variable- and symptom-level relationships between fear of missing out and problematic social media use among early adolescents from Generation Alpha using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) and cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN), respectively. A total of 672 Chinese early adolescents participated in a three-wave study with six-month intervals. The RI-CLPM revealed that fear of missing out positively predicted problematic social media use at the within-person level, while problematic social media use positively predicted fear of missing out only from T2 to T3. The CLPN uncovered the strongest cross-lagged edges between fear of missing out symptoms and problematic social media use symptoms. Additionally, several key nodes were identified: <em>social integration</em> showed the highest out-expected influence (OEI) and <em>tolerance</em> showed the highest in-expected influence (IEI) from T1 to T2; <em>withdrawal</em> showed the highest OEI and <em>salience</em> showed the highest IEI from T2 to T3. This study offers theoretical insights into the dynamic interplay between fear of missing out and problematic social media use among early adolescents from Generation Alpha, and practical guidance for effective prevention and intervention to break the vicious cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108489"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-21DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108503
Ai Bo , Alejandro Martinez , Daniel J. Bauer , Trenette Clark Goings
{"title":"Differences in substance use initiation patterns among biracial and monoracial adolescents: an integrative data analysis of two nationally representative samples","authors":"Ai Bo , Alejandro Martinez , Daniel J. Bauer , Trenette Clark Goings","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adolescence is a critical period for substance use initiation, with consequences for addiction and psychosocial problems in adulthood. However, differences in initiation by key variables such as age and racialized/ethnic group remain understudied.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study examined age and peer influence in relation to alcohol, cannabis, and cigarette initiation across eight racialized/ethnic groups (Asian or Pacific Islanders, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic White, White, Biracial White-Asian, Biracial White-Black, and Biracial White-Indigenous) to compare biracial groups with their monoracial counterparts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using integrated data analysis with Add Health (<em>n</em> = 15,844; mean age = 15.6) and Monitoring the Future (MTF; <em>n</em> = 9,600; mean age 18.4), we applied discrete-time survival analysis to estimate initiation hazards during adolescence (ages 12–18), accounting for racialized/ethnic group, sex, and peer substance use.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The hazards for new initiations of alcohol and cannabis followed a quadratic function of age, peaking around ages 16 and 18. Cigarette use initiation, in contrast, had a relatively flat hazard function. Biracial youth typically showed intermediate or higher risk of substance use initiation relative to their monoracial peers depending on the specific subgroups and substances considered. Peer substance use was associated with increased initiation across all groups, with stronger effects during peak initiation ages and variations in magnitude across racialized groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings show substance use initiation risks and susceptibility to peer influence differ between biracial and monoracial adolescents and between specific biracial subgroups, highlighting the need to consider subgroup differences when addressing adolescent substance use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108503"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145152328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-05DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108479
Meng Xuan ZHANG , Yu Qing WU , Anise M.S. WU
{"title":"Metacognitive-affective pathways linking intolerance of uncertainty with problematic smartphone use in emerging adults","authors":"Meng Xuan ZHANG , Yu Qing WU , Anise M.S. WU","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging adulthood, a transition period in life, is highly intertwined with uncertainty and is thus potentially associated with increased vulnerability to maladaptive coping and problematic behaviors, including problematic smartphone use (PSU). The current study was designed to test not only the associations of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) with PSU tendencies but also the underlying (meta)cognitive and affective mechanisms. A sample of 566 participants who were 18–25 years old (<em>M<sub>age</sub></em> = 20.92, <em>SD<sub>age</sub></em> = 1.72; 65.3 % female) was collected. All participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. The current results indicated a statistically significant positive association between IU and PSU tendencies. Path model further highlighted sequential mediating roles played by two components of metacognitive beliefs (i.e., negative beliefs about worry and cognitive confidence) and anxiety symptoms, underlying the IU-PSU link. Future interventions for PSU tendencies in emerging adults should consider metacognitive therapy, specifically targeting the two identified metacognitive risk factors, especially for those with IU and affective problems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108479"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108499
Pu Peng , Zhangming Chen , Silan Ren , Ying He , Jinguang Li , Aijun Liao , Linlin Zhao , Xu Shao , Shanshan Chen , Ruini He , Yudiao Liang , Youguo Tan , Jinsong Tang , Xiaogang Chen , Yanhui Liao
{"title":"Sex difference in the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: An explanatory analysis at the aggregate and symptom level","authors":"Pu Peng , Zhangming Chen , Silan Ren , Ying He , Jinguang Li , Aijun Liao , Linlin Zhao , Xu Shao , Shanshan Chen , Ruini He , Yudiao Liang , Youguo Tan , Jinsong Tang , Xiaogang Chen , Yanhui Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While sex differences in depressive symptoms and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) are well-documented, the existence of sex differences in their interrelations remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This longitudinal study of 57,985 Chinese gamers (mean age: 14.12 ± 1.45 years, girls: 45.4 %) assessed sex differences in the association between IGD and depressive symptoms. We analyzed this relationship at two levels: (1) an aggregate level, using total scores from the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) via cross-lagged panel models (CLPM), and (2) a symptom level, examining individual symptoms as nodes in cross-lagged panel network analyses (CLPN). We compared cross-lagged effect strengths and identified key central symptoms (highly influential individual symptoms) and bridge symptoms (symptoms linking IGD and depression) within the IGD-depression network for boys and girls.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Girls showed higher prevalence, incidence, and persistence of depression; boys had higher rates for IGD. A bidirectional association emerged between IGD and depression for both sexes. However, the strength of these reciprocal predictions (IGD ↔ depression) was significantly greater in boys. Additionally, bridge symptoms differed by sex: in boys, the bridge symptoms included Worthlessness, Psychomotor Problems, Suicidal Thoughts, and Escapism. In girls, the bridge symptoms were Suicidal Thoughts, Escapism, Concentration Difficulties, and Anhedonia.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Significant sex differences were observed in both the epidemiology and the associations between IGD and depressive symptoms at aggregate and symptom levels. These findings underscore the necessity for sex-specific interventions to effectively address the intertwined nature of IGD and depression among adolescents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108499"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108478
Chaochao Wang, Pengwang Zhao, Min Liu
{"title":"Do self-control and negative emotions mediate the effects of physical activity on problematic mobile phone use? Insights from a meta-analytic structural equation modeling study","authors":"Chaochao Wang, Pengwang Zhao, Min Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study examined the relationships among physical activity, negative emotions, self-control, and problematic mobile phone use, focusing on mediating mechanisms and the moderating role of specific negative emotions (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) was applied to pooled data from 23 studies (N = 65,507) to estimate direct and indirect effects.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results revealed significant correlations, with the strongest between negative emotions and problematic mobile phone use (r = 0.484) and the weakest between physical activity and problematic mobile phone use (r = −0.285). Depressive symptoms showed the strongest association with problematic use (r = 0.656), followed by stress (r = 0.599) and anxiety (r = 0.491). MASEM indicated a total effect of physical activity on problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.395, p < 0.001), with a minor direct effect (β = −0.069) and two dominant indirect pathways: (1) physical activity → self-control → problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.157) and (2) physical activity → negative emotions → problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.169).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Findings demonstrate that physical activity reduces problematic use primarily by mitigating negative emotions (especially depression and stress) and improving self-control. Notably, these variable associations exhibit greater strength within the university student population. Interventions should integrate emotion regulation and self-control strategies to effectively address smartphone dependency and promote healthier behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108478"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-13DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108495
Weisiyu Abraham Qin , Kit K. Elam , Alyssa M. Lederer , Dong-Chul Seo
{"title":"Cannabis use among sexual minority adults: insights from recent U.S. nationally representative data","authors":"Weisiyu Abraham Qin , Kit K. Elam , Alyssa M. Lederer , Dong-Chul Seo","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Cannabis use among sexual minority (SM) populations, particularly through vaping (CV) and non-vaping (NVC) modes, has become increasingly relevant amid shifting legal and cultural norms. However, limited research has examined how these modalities relate to multidimensional aspects of sexual orientation. This study addresses this gap by exploring the associations between sexual identity, sexual attraction, and identity–attraction concordance or discordance with past 30-day CV and NVC among U.S. adults aged 18–64.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study analyzed data from 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a nationally representative dataset (N = 40,030). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the associations between cannabis use modalities and each facet of sexual orientation, adjusting for demographic variables and other substance use behaviors as covariates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among women, bisexual identity was linked to the highest odds of CV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.57, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 2.00–3.30) and NVC (aOR = 2.57, 95 % CI = 2.11–3.12). Women with same-sex or both-sex attraction demonstrated higher odds of both CV and NVC, and heterosexual-discordant women were also at increased risk. Among men, however, cannabis use disparities were more consistently linked to NVC.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings underscore the multifaceted nature of sexual orientation, highlighting distinct gender-specific and modality-dependent disparities in cannabis use among SM population. Recognizing and addressing these complexities can inform culturally attuned prevention and intervention efforts that account for unique stressors within these communities, reducing substance use–related harms and advancing health equity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108495"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108515
Ziwei Ren , Hui Lu , Peng Zheng , Huijuan Lu , Zixin Su , Ziyou Huang , Yun Wu
{"title":"Reciprocal relationships among problematic social media use, depression, and social anxiety of Chinese university students: Disentangling between- and within-person effects","authors":"Ziwei Ren , Hui Lu , Peng Zheng , Huijuan Lu , Zixin Su , Ziyou Huang , Yun Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The associations between problematic social media use (PSMU), depression, and social anxiety (SA) remain a topic of debate. Hence, this study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal relationships of PSMU with depression and SA in a sample of Chinese university students, with an additional emphasis on potential sex differences. A total of 378 students (56.3 % male, 43.7 % female; Mage = 20.49 years, SD = 0.65) completed three waves of survey data. Random Intercept Cross-lagged panel model analysis and multi-group analysis by sex were conducted. At the within-person level, a reciprocal relationship was observed between PSMU and depression over time. Furthermore, SA predicted later increases in PSMU, whereas the reverse associations were not significant. These results highlight the dynamic interplay among emotional symptoms and digital behavior, and underscore the importance of considering both individual differences and temporal fluctuations in future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108515"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145246142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108529
Ruoyan Sun , Suzanne E. Judd , Prabal K. De
{"title":"The association between cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes among U.S. Adults, 2020–2023","authors":"Ruoyan Sun , Suzanne E. Judd , Prabal K. De","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The effect of cannabis use on cardiovascular disease is mixed in the literature. This study assessed the association between cannabis use and multiple cardiovascular outcomes using recent national data from the U.S. Potential heterogenous effects by age and sex were also examined.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a national sample of 436,949 adults who were interviewed between 2020 and 2023 in BRFSS, we employed multivariable logistic regressions to determine the association between cannabis use and cardiovascular health outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographics, health status, other substance use behaviors, and state-level cannabis laws. State and year fixed effects were also included to adjust for time-invariant state characters and trends in cardiovascular outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The weighted prevalence was 4.4 % for coronary heart disease, 4.5 % for myocardial infarction, 3.6 % for stroke, and 9.3 % for the composite measure of any cardiovascular outcome. Non-daily cannabis use, compared to no cannabis use in the past 30 days, was associated with increased odds of stroke (aOR = 1.28, 95 % CI, 1.06–1.54) and the composite measure (aOR = 1.16, 95 % CI, 1.03–1.29). Daily cannabis use was also associated with increased odds of stroke and the composite measure, with aORs at 1.29 (95 % CI, 1.07–1.54) and 1.20 (95 % CI, 1.06–1.36), respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that cannabis use was associated with more cardiovascular outcomes among middle-aged adults and females.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>We found cannabis use to be associated with increased odds of several cardiovascular outcomes. Some population groups who use cannabis, such as middle-aged adults and females, may be at higher cardiovascular risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108529"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145395985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108482
Jonathan David , Hyoun S. Kim , Arif Yüce , Matthew T. Keough
{"title":"Understanding the links between anxiety, depression, and sports betting: The mediating role of sports betting motivations","authors":"Jonathan David , Hyoun S. Kim , Arif Yüce , Matthew T. Keough","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108482","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108482","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sports betting has grown in popularity in recent years in the US and Canada, and is now a major form of gambling. In the present research, we examined which motivations for sports betting mediated the association between emotional vulnerabilities (i.e., anxiety and depression) and sports betting and gambling problems. We recruited sports bettors in Ontario, Canada (final <em>N</em> = 915; 77.2 % men) and categorized them as in-play bettors (<em>n</em> = 221), single-event bettors (<em>n</em> = 531), and traditional bettors (<em>n</em> = 163). Participants completed an online battery of questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety, sports betting behaviour, problem gambling, and sports betting motives. Analyses showed that depression and anxiety were highly correlated in this sample of sports bettors. Both depression and anxiety were associated with greater gambling problems, and these associations were mediated primarily through coping motives. On the other hand, mediation analyses showed that depression and anxiety were associated with greater sports betting frequency primarily through enhancement motives. We also found that the associations did not differ significantly for type of sports betting, nor did they differ between men and women. These results demonstrate that depression and anxiety may be more likely to be comorbid in those who partake in sports betting, and that coping motives are related to gambling problems in sports bettors. Thus, our findings support the pathways model of problem gambling, suggesting that interventions for those who primarily engage in sports betting should focus on comorbid depression and anxiety, and should bolster coping styles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108482"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addictive behaviorsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108490
Janni Leung , Benjamin Johnson , John B. Saunders , Daniel Stjepanovic , Varun Yazad Patel , Caitlin McClure-Thomas , Jason P. Connor , Gary Chung Kai Chan
{"title":"Game related over-spending across age groups and its association with gaming disorder","authors":"Janni Leung , Benjamin Johnson , John B. Saunders , Daniel Stjepanovic , Varun Yazad Patel , Caitlin McClure-Thomas , Jason P. Connor , Gary Chung Kai Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108490","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108490","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gaming disorder is a new addictive disorder under the ICD-11. Most of recent research focuses on young people and its impact on mental and physical health. However, it can also have negative financial impacts as in-game microtransaction and esport betting becoming more common, and this impact could be particularly problematic for older people. This study estimates the association between gaming disorder and game-related overspending.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Data were from the 2022 International Gaming Study (IGS22), a multi-country cross sectional survey of 955 individuals aged 18–94 (M = 46; SD = 16; 45 % Male). We estimated the proportion of participants who reported game-related overspending and modelled its association with ICD-11 Gaming Disorder using logistic regression.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>In general, a much smaller but non-negligible proportion of older people (66 years old + ) reported various type of game-related overspending (4 – 9 %) compared to younger age groups. Individuals who are at risk of gaming disorder were at six to nine times higher odds of reporting various type of gaming-related overspending.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study reveals a novel association between gaming disorder and overspending on purchasing games, in-game purchases, and esports betting across various age groups. While young individuals were more likely to report overspending, some older adults were also affected. As the measure reflects self-reported overspending, further research is needed to assess whether this translates into actual financial hardship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108490"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}