Relationship between the symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder and difficultiesin emotion regulation in online game players

Abstract

Internet  Gaming  Disorder  (IGD)  was  included  in  the  latest  version  of  the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Among the diagnostic criteria are the act of gaming to avoid or alleviate negative mood and constant concern with games,  which  may  be  associated  with  emotional  regulation.  This  study  aimed  to evaluate   the   relationship   between   IGD   symptoms   and   emotional   regulation difficulties  in  online  game  players.  A  total  of  216  respondents  participated  in  the research, who answered an online form composed of sociodemographic questions, the Difficulty in Emotional Regulation Scale and the  Game  Addiction Scale. The results point to a positive correlation between the two scales (ρ= 0,36). The literature points out that the amount of hours played, the motivation for gaming and the game’s genre can contribute to the maintenance of the symptoms of the disorder, but also aspects related to emotional regulation in the context of online games, especially multiplayer games. Differences were found between the scores and gender of the participants, in which  the  female  group  had  greater  difficulties  in  emotional  regulation,  while the male group showed more symptoms of IGD. More studies are needed to deepen the discussion of the topic, considering the growing concern about possible clinical implications.