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Should Internet gaming disorder be considered a subtype of generalized problematic internet use? Findings from a study among medical college students
Author(s) -
Balhara Yatan Pal Singh,
Singh Swarndeep,
Saini Romil,
Dahiya Neha,
Singh Aakanksha Bharti,
Kumar Rajesh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
perspectives in psychiatric care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6163
pISSN - 0031-5990
DOI - 10.1111/ppc.12558
Subject(s) - immunoglobulin d , addiction , the internet , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , immunology , computer science , world wide web , antibody , b cell
Purpose The current study aimed to explore whether Internet gaming disorder (IGD) should be considered a subtype of generalised problematic Internet use (PIU) by assessing the degree of overlap between them and comparing their correlates. The sociodemographic profile and presence of depressive symptoms were studied as correlates for IGD and generalised PIU. Design and Methods This was a self‐report survey administered online among medical students ( n = 306). Finding Less than half of the participants with IGD (45.45%; 5 out of 11) also met the criteria for generalised PIU. Only 6.67% (5 out of 75) of subjects with generalised PIU were also classified as having IGD. Male gender and time spent on digital gaming per day were associated with greater risk of IGD; whereas the time spent on Internet per day and more frequent use of the Internet for social networking rather than academic purposes were associated with greater risk of generalised PIU. The regression models built for IGD and generalised PIU were statistically significant ( F = 64.10; P < .01 and F = 80.97; P < .01, respectively). The two models explained 66.1% and 57.4% of the variance in IGDS‐SF and GPIUS2 scores, respectively. Practice Implications The IGD and generalised PIU appear to be conceptually distinct entities. The IGD should not be assumed as a subtype of generalised PIU. Thus, health care providers need to focus on IGD beyond and besides generalised PIU. There is a need to specifically enquire about IGD while screening for behavioural addictions involving use of Internet.