-Canadian Article describing the need for advances in gaming disorder research, specifically longitudinal study.
- Highlights: Neurobiological and Psychological Correlates of Gaming Disorder / Contextual Correlates of Gaming Disorder / Gaming-Gambling Convergence and Gaming Disorder.
-Conclusion: There is a lack of longitudinal Studies. Longitudinal needed, to determine if neurobiological conditions and psychosocial conditions exist prior to gaming disorder. It will also help determine individual and societal long term consequences. As the gaming market continues to increase with a wide variety of users, likely a diverse population will need to be examined. Various study techniques could help characterize diverse users, subgroups, and gaming trajectories. More research is needed to continue to clarify and understand gaming disorder. They suggest that research should involving a foundational approach-brick building that includes experts and people with lived experience, and involving cross cultural variation.
3 clinically relevant points:
1. If longitudinal studies are completed, we can not only see short term consequences but long term – to the individual and to society. This can inform wide spread , available prevention programs in the community. Another example could be a guidelines list to prevent problem gaming, and addictive gaming. Substance is a different field but there are low risk drinking guidelines for example. And with gambling – there are play safe type of programs to inform people on strategies to help them have fun without developing problematicbehaviours and harm reduction strategies to help restrict some gambling activity.
2. Longitudinal studies – will describe and account for more life factors that contribute/reinforce problem and addictive gaming – such as family, environment, developmental history, mental health history, cognitive, and other influences like peers, and routines like sleep. Longitudinal may be able to do brain scans – to note brain activity, executive functions, visual and auditory and so on. Before, during and after gaming scans can help diagnose and highlight benefits, or problems.
3. Longitudinal studies that are clinically sound, can bring the professional community together to make better conclusions/ decisions/agreements about gaming disorder.
Current and Future Directions in Gaming Disorder Research
Coelho, Sophie G. HBSc1; Vieira, Jenna L. BA2; Keough, Matthew T. PhD1; Kim, Hyoun S. PhD2,3
The Canadian Journal of Addiction 14(3)
4-6, September 023.| DOI: 10.1097/CXA.0000000000000185