Problematic Video Game Use and Mental Health among Spanish Adolescents

Abstract

Current scientific evidence points to the importance of studying the link between mental health and problematic video game use in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyse the correlation between gender and stage of adolescence and problematic video game use, as well as to study the correlation between internalizing and externalizing symptomatology, prosocial behaviour and video game use, and the correlation between video gaming and mental health issues in Spanish 12- to 18-year-olds (M = 14.51; SD = 1.57). For this purpose, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Video Game-Related Experiences Questionnaire (VGEQ) were administered to 1448 secondary school students in Extremadura (Spain), of which 50.8% were women and 49.8% men. The results show that (a) males present more problematic video game use, (b) prosocial behaviour negatively correlates with problematic video game use, and (c) mental health issues and problematic video game use correlate in a negative way. However, the stage of adolescence was not seen to have any effect on the problematic video game use. In conclusion, this study points the effects that problematic video game use can have on the mental health of adolescents and the possible protective role that prosocial behaviours can have on the prevention of problematic video game use.