Online Game Addiction and the Level of Depression Among Adolescents in Manila, Philippines
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: World Health Organization recognizes online game addiction as a mental health condition. The rise of excessive online gaming is emerging in the Philippines, with 29.9 million gamers recorded in the country. The incidence of depression is also increasing in the country. The current correlational analysis evaluated the association between online game addiction and depression in Filipino adolescents.
Methods: A paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire assessing depression and online game addiction was distributed from August to November, 2018. The questionnaire included socio-demographic profiles of the respondents, and the 14-item Video Game Addiction Test (VAT) (Cronbach's ?=0.91) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (Cronbach's ?=0.88) to determine levels of online game addiction and depression, respectively. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the association between depression and online game addiction.
Results: Three hundred adolescents (59% males, 41% females) participated in the study. Fifty-three out of 300 respondents (12.0% males, 5.7% females) had high level of online game addiction as reflected in their high VAT scores. In this study, 37 respondents (6.7% males, 5.7% females) had moderately severe depression and 6 (2.0%) females had severe depression. Online game addiction was positively correlated with depression in this study (r=0.31; p<0.001). When multiple regression analysis was computed, depression was found to be a predictor of online game addiction (Coefficient=0.0121; 95% CI-8.1924 - 0.0242; p=0.05).
Conclusion: Depression, as associated with online game addiction, is a serious threat that needs to be addressed. High level of online game addiction, as positively correlated to the rate of depression among adolescents in Manila, could potentially be attributed to the booming internet industry and lack of suffiicent mental health interventions in the country. Recommended interventions include strengthening depression management among adolescents and improving mental health services for this vulnerable population groups in schools and within the communities.
Article Details
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
- Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
- The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
- Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site;
- The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
- Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
- The Author represents and warrants that:
- the Work is the Author’s original work;
- the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
- the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
- the Work has not previously been published;
- the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
- the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
- The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.
Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.
References
ePC. 2019 Video Game Industry Statistics, Trends & Data [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.wepc.com/news/video-game-statistics/.
Griffiths MD, Davies MN, & Chappell D. Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. J Adolesc 2004; 27: 87–96. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.007.
Barnett J & Coulson M. Virtually real: A psychological perspective on massively multiplayer online games. Review of General Psychology 2010; 14: 167-179. doi: 10.1037/a0019442.
Elson M & Ferguson CJ. Gun violence and media effects: Challenges for science and public policy. The British Journal of Psychiatry 2013; 203: 322-324. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.128652.
Ferguson CJ, Coulson M, & Barnett J. A meta-analysis of pathological gaming prevalence and comorbidity with mental health, academic and social problems. Journal of Psychiatric Research 2011; 45: 1573-1578. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.09.005.
Statista. Distribution of computer and video gamers in the United States from 2006 to 2019, by gender. [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.statista.com/statistics/232383/gender-split-of-us-computer-and-video-gamers/
Newzoo. The Filipino Gamer, 2017 [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://newzoo.com/insights/infographics/the-filipino-gamer/.
Veltri NF, Krasnova H, Baumann A, & Kalayamthanam N. Gender differences in online gaming: A literature review. Proceedings of the 20th Americas Conference on Information Systems, Savannah, 2014 [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.667.4530&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Griffiths MD & Hunt N. Computer game playing in adolescence: Prevalence and demographic indicators. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology 1995; 5: 189-193. doi: 10.1002/casp.2450050307
Kuss DJ & Griffiths MD. Internet gaming addiction: A systematic review of empirical research. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 2012; 10: 278-296. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9318-5
Grusser SM, Thalemann R, Albrecht U, & Thalemann CN. Excessive computer usage in adolescents-a psychometric evaluation. Wiener KlinischeWochenschrift 2005; 117: 188-195. doi: 10.1007/s00508-005-0339-6.
Wood RTA & Griffiths MD. A qualitative investigation of problem gambling as an escape based coping strategy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 2007; 80: 107-125. doi: 10.1348/147608306X107881.
Wan, CS & Chiou WB. Why are adolescents addicted to online gaming? An interview study in Taiwan. Cyber Psychology& Behavior 2006; 9: 762-766. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.762.
Wood RTA, Griffiths MD, & Parke A. Experiences of time loss among videogame players: An empirical study. CyberPsychology& Behavior 2007; 10: 38-44. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9994.
Fu KW, Chan WSC, Wong PWC, & Yip PSF. Internet addiction: Prevalence, discriminant validity and correlates among adolescents in Hong Kong. Br. J. Psychiatry 2010; 196: 486–492. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.075002.
Griffiths M. Does internet and computer "addiction" exist? Some case study evidence. Cyber Psychology & Behavior 2004;3(2): 211-218. doi: 10.1089/109493100316067.
Griffiths MD, Kuss DJ, & King DL. Video game addiction: Past, present, and future. Current Psychiatry Review, 2012; 8:0000-000. doi: 10.2174/157340012803520414 .
Griffiths MD. Online games, addiction, and overuse of. InThe International Encyclopdia of Digital Communication and Society.1st ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2015. doi: 10.1002/9781118290743.wbiedcs044.
Beutel ME, Hoch C, Woelfing K, Mueller KW. Clinical characteristics of computer game and Internet addiction in persons seeking treatment in an outpatient clinic for computer game addiction. Z. Psychosom. Med. Psychother. 2011, 57, 77–90. doi: 10.13109/zptm.2011.57.1.77.
Kuss DJ & Griffiths MD. Internet and gaming addiction: A systematic literature review of neuroimaging studies. Brain Sci 2012; 2: 347-374. doi: 10.3390/brainsci2030347.
Anderson CA, Funk JB, & Griffiths MD. Contemporary issues in adolescent video game playing: brief overview and introduction to the special issue. J Adolesc 2004; 27(1), 1–3. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.001.
UNICEF. At a glance: Philippines [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/philippines_statistics.html#123.
Lee YJ, Cho SJ, Cho IH, & Kim SJ. Insufficient sleep and suicidality in adolescents. Sleep2012; (4):455-60. doi: 10.5665/sleep.1722.
Keaten J & Cheng M. Cumpolsive video-game playing could be mental health problem [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06-compulsive-video-game-mental-health-problem.html.
Hymas C & Dodds L. Addictive video games may change children's brains in the same way as drugs and alcohol, study reveals [Accessed 2020 June 15] Available from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/12/addictive-video-games-may-change-childrens-brains-way-drugs/.
Peng W & Liu M. Online gaming dependency: A preliminary study in China. CyberpsycholBehav Soc Netw 2010; 13 (3). doi: 10.1089=cyber.2009.0082.
Craven R. Targeting neural correlates of addiction. Nat Rev Neurosci 2006;7:1. doi: 10.1038/nrn1840.
Verecio R. Online gaming addiction among BSIT students of Leyte Normal University Philippines its implication towards academic performance. INDJSRT 2018; 11(47): 1-4. DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2018/v11i47/137972.
Cortes MDS, Alcalde JV, & Camacho JV. Effects of computer gaming on High School students' performance in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. 国際公共政策研究 (International Public Policy Research). 2012; 16(2):75- 88. [Accessed December 2020]. Available from: https://ir.library.osaka.ac.jp/repo/ouka/all/24497/osipp_030_075.pdf.
Lumbay C, Larisma CCM, Centillas Jr. CL. Computer gamers'academic performance in a Technological State College in Leyte, Philippines. Journal of Social Sciences 2017; 6(2):41-49. doi: 10.25255/jss.2017.6.2S.41.49.
Rappler. Mental illness, Suicide Cases Rising Among Youth [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/211671-suicide-cases-mental-health-illness-youth-rising-philippines.
Rappler. How does the PH fare in mental health care? [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/184754-philippines-mental-health-care.
World Population Review. Manila Population 2019 [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/manila-population/.
Philippine Statistics Authority. Population of the City of Manila Climbed to 1.7 Million (Results from the 2010 Census of Population and Housing) [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://psa.gov.ph/content/population-city-manila-climbed-17-million-results-2010-census-population-and-housing.
OpenEpi. Open Source Epidemiologic Statistics for Public Health. [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from http://openepi.com/SampleSize/SSPropor.htm.
van Rooij AJ, Schoenmakers TM, van den Eijnden RJ, Vermulst AA, & van de Mheen D. Video game addiction test: validity and psychometric characteristics. Cyber psychol Behav Soc Netw2012; 15(9):507-11. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2012.0007.
Meerkerk GJ, Van Den Eijnden RJ, Vermulst AA, & Garretsen HF. The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS): some psychometric properties. Cyber psychol Behav 2009; 12(1):1-6. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2008.0181.
van Rooij AJ, Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD, Shorter GW, Shoenmakers TM, van de Mheen D. The (co occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2014; 3(3):157–165. doi: 10.1556/JBA.3.2014.013.
Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001; 16(9):606-13. PMCID: PMC1495268.
Rikkers W, Lawrence D, Hafekost J, Zubrick SR. Internet use and electronic gaming by children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems in Australia –results from the second child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing. BMC Public Health 2016; 16:399. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3058-1.
Weigh H-T, Chen M-H, Huang P-C, Bai Y-M. The association between online gaming, social phobia, and depression: an internet survey. BMC Psychiatry 2012; 12:92 doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-92.
Zamani E, Chashmi M, & Hedayati N. Effect of addiction to computer games on physical and mental health of female and male students of guidance school in City of Isfahan. Addict Health 2009.; 1(2): 98-104. PMCID: PMC3905489.
Dong G, Lu Q, Zhou H, Zhao X. Precursor or sequela: pathological disorders in people with internet addiction disorder. PLoS One 2011; 6(2):e14703. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014703.
Brown I. A theoretical model of the behavioral addictions—Applied to offending. In. Hodge JE, McMurranM,Hollins CR. Eds. Chichester, UK: John Wiley; 1997, p. 13-65.
Schmit S, Chauchard E, Chabrol H, & Sejourne N. Evaluation of the characteristics of addiction to online video games among adolescents and young adults. Encephale 2011; 37 (3): 217-223. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2010.06.006. Epub 2010 Aug 17.
Wenzel T, Rushiti F, Aghani F, Diaconu G, Maxhuni B, & Zitterl W. Suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress and suicide statistics in Kosovo. An analysis five years after the war. Suicidal ideation in Kosovo. Torture 2009; 19(3):238-47. PMID: 20065542.
Newman C. Minding the gap in Philippines’ mental health. [Accessed 2020 June 15] Available from https://www.bworldonline.com/minding-gap-philippines-mental-health/.
Lagon HM. Guidance and counseling in the Philippines: A journey to maturity. [Accessed 2020 June 26]. Available from https://archive.dailyguardian.com.ph/guidance-and-counseling-in-the-philippines-a-journey-to-maturity/.
Teh LA, Acosta AC, Hechanova MRM, Alianan AS. Attitudes of Psychology graduate students toward face-to-face and online counseling. Philippine Journal of Psychology 2014; 47 (2): 65-97.
Rappler. National hotline for mental health assistance now open [Accessed 2020 June 15]. Available from https://www.rappler.com/nation/146077-doh-hotline-mental-health-assistance-open-suicide-prevention.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23442.