Regaining Control Over Gaming: Clinical Features and Treatment of Gaming Disorder

Abstract

Gaming has become increasingly popular and accessible worldwide over the past decades. Concurrently, a minority of gamers experience significant negative consequences from gaming and meet the criteria for the newly defined diagnosis of gaming disorder (GD). This thesis aims to explore the clinical characteristics of individuals seeking treatment for GD and to evaluate a psychological treatment for GD. Papers I and II focus on the clinical population. Paper I compared adults and younger patients, regarding symptoms and progression into GD. The younger group reported a more rapid progression into problematic gaming, whereas no differences were observed in GD symptoms or psychiatric comorbidities. Paper II used qualitative interviews to identify factors that maintain excessive gaming, highlighting game-related factors, individual characteristics, and aspects of life outside gaming. Papers III and IV investigate whether a new cognitive-behavioral therapy reduces GD symptoms. Paper III reports an uncontrolled study significant and sustained reductions in GD symptoms, gaming time, anxiety, and depression. Paper IV describes the protocol for an ongoing randomized controlled trial comparing the treatment with a waitlist control condition. In conclusion, GD is maintained by a complex interplay of factors, and psychiatric comorbidity is common among both younger and older patients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a promising approach, but more rigorous treatment studies are needed. The findings of this thesis may contribute to the development of treatments for GD, ultimately helping patients regain control over their gaming.