Depressieve symptomen en problematisch gamen: Welke rol speelt zelfcontrole?

Abstract

The last two decades videogames became popular among youngsters. Some youngsters use videogames to relax or socialize with friends. However, 4 to 12 percent of youngsters that play daily develop problematic gaming (PG). It is yet unclear which factors give a higher risk of PG. Some studies suggest that depression and low self-control are important risk factors. This cross-sectional study examined the association between depressive symptoms and PG in youngsters between the age of 12 and 18 years old and whether this association is mediated by self-control. A sample of 264 respondents was used in this study (45.4% men, M age = 14.33, SD age = 1.55). Depressive symptoms, PG and self-control were assessed with an online survey. The analytic method conducted for this study was a mediation analysis with PROCESS. The results of the analysis showed that depressive symptoms were positively related to PG, while controlling for age and gender as well. They also showed that the association between depressive symptoms and PG was completely mediated through self-control. This shows that depressive symptoms are associated to a lower level of self-control and that the lower self-control is associated with more PG, because self-control is needed to regulate gaming behavior. An implication is that clinicians should be aware of the contributing factors that lead to PG and use this data to develop prevention plans for at risk youngster.