Sleep Deprivation and Self-Harm Associated With Excessive Gaming: A Case Report

Amanda M Hall; Stuart D Glass; William A McDonald; Nathaniel B Almond; Andrew P Doan

doi:10.1093/milmed/usac116

Sleep Deprivation and Self-Harm Associated With Excessive Gaming: A Case Report

Mil Med. 2022 Apr 26:usac116. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usac116. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Amanda M Hall¹, Stuart D Glass², William A McDonald³, Nathaniel B Almond³, Andrew P Doan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
² U.S. Marine Corps, 11th Marine Regiment. PSC Box 555503, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055, USA.
³ Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, Pensacola, FL 32508, USA.
⁴ USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, FPO, AE 09532, USA.

PMID: 35472820
DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usac116

Abstract

Excessive gaming may be associated with sleep deprivation and self-harm. One active duty member committed self-injurious behavior to avoid work-related consequences. It was discovered that the patient participated in a video-gaming binge throughout an entire 72-hour weekend liberty. The patient experienced severe sleep deprivation to the point where he overslept and failed to report to work. He injured himself and fabricated a robbery and assault to avoid disciplinary consequences. Military health care providers should consider excessive gaming in patients presenting with sleep issues, self-harm, and disciplinary problems. As the prevalence of gaming increases, the military leadership should be aware that excessive gaming can degrade force readiness.

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2022. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.