Internet Gaming Disorder and Well-Being: A Scale Validation

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2016 Nov;19(11):674-679. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2016.0286.

Abstract

The overuse of online games is known to be inversely related to various indicators of well-being. This article validates the DSM-5 criteria of internet gaming disorder (IGD), and analyzes its links with five indicators of well-being: life satisfaction, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and academic performance in a French-speaking sample of 693 gamers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a one-factor structure of IGD criteria. The IGD scale showed satisfactory validity and reliability and was related in a consistent way with well-being measures. The IGD scale appears to be an appropriate measure to assess video game addiction and will contribute to increase the comparability of international research on video game addiction.

Keywords: DSM-5; Internet addiction; online gaming; video game.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Behavior, Addictive / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internet*
  • Male
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / standards*
  • Psychometrics / instrumentation*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Video Games / psychology*
  • Young Adult