Online video game addiction: identification of addicted adolescent gamers

  1. Antonius J. Van Rooij1,*,
  2. Tim M. Schoenmakers1,
  3. Ad A. Vermulst2,
  4. Regina J.J.M. Van Den Eijnden3,
  5. Dike Van De Mheen1,4

Article first published online: 15 SEP 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03104.x

Issue

Addiction

Addiction

Volume 106, Issue 1, pages 205–212, January 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Van Rooij, A. J., Schoenmakers, T. M., Vermulst, A. A., Van Den Eijnden, R. J.J.M. and Van De Mheen, D. (2011), Online video game addiction: identification of addicted adolescent gamers. Addiction, 106: 205–212. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03104.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    IVO Addiction Research Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,

  2. 2

    Behavioural Science Institute, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands,

  3. 3

    Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

  4. 4

    Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, the Netherlands

*A. J. van Rooij, IVO Addiction Research Institute, Heemraadsingel 194, 3021 DM Rotterdam, the Netherlands. E-mail: rooij@ivo.nl

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 DEC 2010
  2. Article first published online: 15 SEP 2010
  3. Submitted 10 March 2010; initial review completed 10 May 2010; final version accepted 10 June 2010

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Keywords:

  • Compulsive internet use;
  • internet addiction;
  • latent class analysis;
  • non-substance addiction;
  • online video games;
  • psychosocial health;
  • video game addiction

ABSTRACT

Aims  To provide empirical data-driven identification of a group of addicted online gamers.

Design  Repeated cross-sectional survey study, comprising a longitudinal cohort, conducted in 2008 and 2009.

Setting  Secondary schools in the Netherlands.

Participants  Two large samples of Dutch schoolchildren (aged 13–16 years).

Measurements  Compulsive internet use scale, weekly hours of online gaming and psychosocial variables.

Findings  This study confirms the existence of a small group of addicted online gamers (3%), representing about 1.5% of all children aged 13–16 years in the Netherlands. Although these gamers report addiction-like problems, relationships with decreased psychosocial health were less evident.

Conclusions  The identification of a small group of addicted online gamers supports efforts to develop and validate questionnaire scales aimed at measuring the phenomenon of online video game addiction. The findings contribute to the discussion on the inclusion of non-substance addictions in the proposed unified concept of ‘Addiction and Related Disorders’ for the DSM-V by providing indirect identification and validation of a group of suspected online video game addicts.

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