Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41430162›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2025

Comorbidity of internet gaming disorder and anxiety in first-year Chinese university students: the mediating role of behavioral inhibition and activation systems.

Jie Chen, Zhenzhen Zhang, Siwen Fu, Biyu Wen, Zeming Chen, Xiaochun Wang

Erratum issuedAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jie ChenSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Zhenzhen ZhangSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Siwen FuSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Biyu WenSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Zeming ChenSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Xiaochun WangSchool of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China. wangxiaochun@sus.edu.cn.

Funding

the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China Grant No. 21JZDW007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInternet gaming disorder (IGD) and anxiety frequently co-occur among young adults and represent an increasing mental health concern in China. Nevertheless, the psychological network underlying this comorbidity and the identification of potential intervention targets remain poorly understood.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 605 Chinese university freshmen to investigate the association between internet gaming disorder (IGD), anxiety. And the behavioral inhibition system (BIS)/ behavioral activation system (BAS) was examined as potential mediators of this relationship.

resultsAnxiety was positively associated with Internet gaming disorder (IGD), with the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) functioning as a complementary partial mediation. Complementary configurational and network analyses further identified heightened punishment/ reward sensitivity and loss of control over mind and behavior as key psychological symptoms linking IGD to anxiety.

conclusionsThese findings highlight anxiety's central role in IGD, with an imbalance in reward and punishment sensitivity closely associated with the comorbidity. Intense gaming rewards reinforce the drive to continue playing, while cessation triggers negative emotions like anxiety. These results emphasize the need for interventions that promote healthier emotional regulation in individuals with IGD and comorbid anxiety.

Indexed as

AnxietyInhibition, PsychologicalInternet Addiction DisorderStudentsVideo GamesAdolescentAdultChinaComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleRewardUniversitiesYoung AdultAnxietyBIS/BASComorbidityInternet gaming disorderI-PACEYoung adults

Identifiers

PMID41430162
PMCPMC12837982

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.