Personality AND Affective Correlates OF Gaming Addiction IN Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Gaming disorder (GD) as diagnosis had been recently introduced in the later years of the previous decade. Studies assessing the determinants of gaming addiction and mental health attributes among Indian medical students are limited.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of gaming addiction and its association with stress, anxiety, depression and personality traits of the medical students.

Materials & Methods: The present study was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted from September 2020 to September 2022. The study population included medical students: Undergraduates, interns and post-graduate students of DY Patil Medical College, Pune in India, aged above 18 years. Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A), DASS-21 and Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) were the tools used.

Results: Majority of the study participants in our study were in the age group of 20-24 years (82.4%) and females (63.3%). Prevalence of gaming addiction was 29.6%. Students with gaming addiction had significantly higher stress, anxiety and depression than the ones without gaming addiction. Gaming addiction students had significantly lower agreeable scores than the normal students. Male gender was significantly associated with gaming addiction.

Conclusion: Agreeableness and conscientiousness personality traits may be used as a marker to identify the gaming addiction early. Early identification and intervention for the gaming disorders can prevent the common mental disorders (Anxiety & Depression)