ArticleEuropean psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists2026
Epidemiology of adolescent gaming disorder: A 6-year population-based longitudinal study (2019-2024).
Article in European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundGaming disorder (GD), i.e., persistent problematic gaming with clinically significant impairment, is a growing concern; however, estimates of GD in representative adolescent samples are limited. This study aimed to examine GD prevalence, incidence, persistence, and risk factors for different epidemiological parameters across 6 years, covering pre- to post-COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsPopulation-based longitudinal data, including 3358 German adolescents, were collected annually from 2019 to 2024 using online surveys. GD prevalence estimates were assessed by standardized International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)-based self-report questionnaires. Between-wave persistence and incidence of GD, sociodemographic data, gaming time, and stress perception were measured. Risk factors for incidence and persistence of GD were examined using generalized-estimating equation (GEE) models.
resultsGD prevalence doubled from 2.9% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023 and remained above prepandemic levels in 2024 (3.9%). Males showed higher prevalence estimates compared to females across most waves, and prevalence peaked in 2023 (8%). For females, GD prevalence doubled between 2019 (1.7%) and 2020 (3.4%), peaked in 2022 (6.1%), and declined thereafter. The incidence of GD increased during the pandemic. According to GEE models, male sex, higher perceived stress, and longer gaming times were risk factors for GD incidence; older age and higher education were protective factors. The persistence of GD reached its peak in 2020 (36.2%). Significant risk factors for GD persistence were higher stress perception and longer gaming time.
conclusionsPrevalence and incidence rates indicate that GD continues to be a significant concern, and pandemic-related increases affected both males and females. Prevention and intervention programs should target identified risk groups.
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