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Among adolescents, heavy video game use and socializing online may be valued socially by peers, depending on gender and age, which can increase life satisfaction. However, heavy video gaming may also be linked to symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder, which can decrease life satisfaction. Overall, when symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder are present, do subjects experience decreased or increased life satisfaction, all other things being equal? The aim of this study was to explore the association between Internet Gaming Disorder symptoms and life satisfaction, while controlling for gender, age, and other conditions that may impact life satisfaction. More than 2000 adolescents filled out an anonymous questionnaire at school, and 43 patients in a care center filled out the same questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics, family life conditions, use of screens (videos, video games, and social networks), mental health screenings, and a life satisfaction measure were collected. Distribution of participants' characteristics was provided, and stratified multivariate analyses by young male, older male, young female, and older female school populations were carried out. Results suggested that Internet Gaming Disorder symptoms had similar prevalence before and after the age of 15 in males (21% vs. 19%) and in females (6% vs. 7%) respectively and was significantly associated with decreased life satisfaction in older males, even after adjusting for parental support, depression, and economic conditions. Associations between symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder and life satisfaction may be different depending on adolescent gender and age group.

Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a prevention intervention on French adolescents' Internet and video games use and on their beliefs concerning gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), in order to adjust prevention programs further., Methods: The study comprised a prevention intervention group (PIG) and a control group assessed at three times - baseline, post-test, and 4-month follow-up. At baseline, a total of 434 junior high adolescents from five secondary schools were assessed ( M age  = 13.2 years; SD  = 0.5). The main outcome measures were adolescents' gaming and Internet use (amount of time spent during the week and the weekend), the number of adolescents with IGD, and beliefs about gaming and IGD., Results: The results showed significant effects of the prevention intervention on Internet and gaming use (at T2, time spent was significantly lower in the PIG), an important increase of IGD prevalence between baseline and follow-up in the control group, and decreased rates of IGD among adolescents in the PIG between post-intervention and follow-up. Between baseline and follow-up, the control group showed a more significant increase of minutes per day during the week and the weekend on Internet versus during the week on video games. The impact of the prevention intervention on adolescents' beliefs varied according to gender. Girls had a better understanding generally of the potential dangers of and reasons for IGD., Discussion: Implications for future research and prevention approaches are discussed in this study.

Background and Aims: Clinicians and researchers are increasingly interested in investigating excessive use of video gaming recently named Internet gaming disorder (IGD). As is the case with extensively researched adolescent problem behaviors such as substance use disorder, several studies associate IGD with the young person's family environment and the parent-adolescent relationship in particular. Evidence-based treatments for a range of adolescent clinical problems including behavioral addictions demonstrate efficacy, the capacity for transdiagnostic adaptation, and lasting impact. However, less attention has been paid to developing and testing science-based interventions for IGD, and at present most tested interventions for IGD have been individual treatments (cognitive behavioral therapy)., Methods: This article presents the rationale for a systemic conceptualization of IGD and a therapeutic approach that targets multiple units or subsystems. The IGD treatment program is based on the science-supported multidimensional family therapy approach (MDFT). Following treatment development work, the MDFT approach has been adapted for IGD., Results: The article discusses recurring individual and family-based clinical themes and therapeutic responses in the MDFT-IGD clinical model, which tailors interventions for individuals and subsystems within the young person's family., Discussion and Conclusions: Basic science developmental research can inform conceptualization of IGD and a systemic logic model of intervention and change. This paper aims to expand treatment theorizing and intervention approaches for practitioners working with frequently life-altering behaviors of excessive Internet gaming. We operationalize this aim by addressing the question of why and how parents should be involved in youth IGD treatment.

While recent data suggest a high prevalence of adolescent with Internet gaming disorder, little is known about interpersonal factors that contributes or protect to this disorder. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the relationships between parental attitudes, adolescent perception of family functioning and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and explore gender differences. From a sample of 434 adolescents attending school (n =434; age 13.2 years), 383 non-problematic gamers (NPG, 196 males; 187 females) were compared with 37 problematic gamers (PG, 29 males; 8 females). Family functioning was assessed with the Family Relationship Index and parental attitudes with a questionnaire measuring rules, access to video games, monitoring and banning of video games. NPG have a better family cohesion while PG have more family conflict and a poorer family relationship. While rules about gaming use are important in males, for females, banning is associated with IGD. For both sex, parental monitoring, conflicts and family relationship are associated with IGD. These findings highlight the strong influence of parental attitudes and family functioning on the occurrence of IGD in adolescents and their gender specificities. Thus, prevention programs need to take into account the importance of parents, parenting and gender specificities., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Given the growing use of video games and the growing number of adolescents with Internet gaming disorder (IGD), prevention in this area is necessary. The objective of this study was to investigate the use and most particularly the representations of the risks associated with the use of video games in young adolescents by comparing problematic (PGs) and nonproblematic gamers (NPGs). Gender differences were also explored. Five Parisian middle schools participated in this study and 434 adolescents (231 boys, m age =13.2 years; 203 girls, m age =13.1 years) answered several questions concerning videogames (including the Game Addiction Scale). Among all participants (n=434), 37 students (n=8.8%) could be considered PGs. Of these, 29 (n=78.4%) were boys. Generally, sample students' surf and play a great deal during the week: they spend an average of 2h per day playing video games and 4h per day on the Internet. The number of screens at home is significantly higher in PGs compared to NPGs, the remaining set at a high level (n>10). Most middle school students believe that time spent on video games can have an impact on physical and mental health but they have no impact on academic performance. The two types of video games responsible for problematic use were role-play games and first-person shooter games. Most negative consequences are reported more by girls than boys: eating problems (P=.037), sleep problems (P=.040), vision problems (P=.002), conflicts with parents (P<001), loss of time (P=.003), and lack of school investment (P<.001). For all participants, the main reasons for IGD were poor academic performance, lack of friends, lack of self-confidence and family problems. In NPGs, girls reported more than boys that family problems (P=.003), lack of self-confidence (P=.005) and negative self-image (P=.007) led to IGD. The three main features of the individual with IGD reported by PGs and NPGs is the failure to stop playing, playing instead of fulfilling one's obligations and doing nothing but play. Most of the respondents believed that one can be addicted to video games and that they can have an impact on physical and mental health. Adolescents are more aware of the impact gaming generates on themselves than on their relationship with the environment (school and family). These preliminary exploratory findings indicate that preventive action could be promoted for adolescents. To promote life skills, and given that girls often report more negative consequences than boys, it seems important to include these skills in prevention programs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

En pratique clinique, certains adolescents présentent, de manière concomitante, un refus scolaire anxieux et un mésusage des jeux vidéo, le plus souvent en ligne. Comprendre ce que ces jeux apportent aux adolescents en souffrance, identifier l'intrication de ces deux comportements problématiques et les situations où le jeu devient nocif sont autant d'outils pour étayer une prise en charge souvent complexe. Cette revue de 32 articles et ouvrages s'intéresse aux similitudes entre l'étiopathogénie et la symptomatologie du refus scolaire anxieux et de l'addiction aux jeux vidéo. À ce jour, il est impossible de conclure à un lien de causalité direct entre refus scolaire anxieux et addiction aux jeux vidéo. Cependant, des comorbidités et des traits de personnalité communs jouent un rôle dans la coexistence de ces deux comportements problématiques. Si les jeux vidéo sont une distraction, ils ne soulagent la souffrance que de façon temporaire et empêchent, dans certains cas, une résolution efficace des difficultés. L'association de ces deux comportements interroge le fonctionnement familial comme élément déclencheur ou d'entretien. Refus scolaire anxieux et addiction aux jeux vidéo peuvent coexister et s'entretenir réciproquement, venant majorer la sévérité de ces comportements problématiques et ajouter une difficulté à leur prise en charge déjà complexe. Il apparaît essentiel de s'intéresser à ce que la vie virtuelle révèle des questionnements des adolescents, de valoriser leurs performances dans le jeu vidéo, et d'identifier les fonctionnements familiaux à risque. Au sein d'une prise en charge pluridisciplinaire – thérapeutique et pédagogique – le serious game et les jeux de rôle non virtuels peuvent soutenir l'autonomisation psychique et le plaisir à penser. In clinical practice, some adolescents present both a school refusal and a gaming disorder, most often an Internet gaming disorder. Understanding what online videogames bring to suffering adolescents, identifying the psychopathological mechanisms of these two problematic behaviors and situations where gaming becomes harmful, are necessary tools to support an often complex treatment. This review of 32 articles and books examines the similarities between the etiopathogenesis and the symptomatology of school refusal and gaming disorder. For now, it is impossible to conclude to a direct causality between school refusal and addiction to online video games. However, common comorbidities and personality traits play a role in the coexistence of these two problematic behaviors. Video games, as a distraction, only provide temporary relief and, sometimes, prevent effective resolution of difficulties. The combination of these two behaviors questions family functioning as a trigger or maintenance factor. School refusal and internet gaming disorder can coexist and mutually support each other, increasing the severity of these problematic behaviors and adding difficulty to their already complex treatment. It appears essential to study what virtual life reveals about the questionings of adolescents, to value their performance in video games, and to identify risky family functioning. A multidisciplinary support – pedagogic and therapeutic – is necessary, including serious games and non-virtual role-playing games which can support psychic empowerment and pleasure of thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]