Helga Myrseth

Problematic Video Game Use: Estimated Prevalence and Associations with Mental and Physical Health

A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of video game addiction and problematic video game use and their association with physical and mental health. An initial sample comprising 2,500 individuals was randomly selected from the Norwegian National Registry. A total of 816 (34.0 percent) individuals completed and returned the questionnaire. The majority (56.3 percent) of respondents used video games on a regular basis. The prevalence of video game addiction was estimated to be 0.6 percent, with problematic use of video games reported by 4.1 percent of the sample. Gender (male) and age group (young) were strong predictors for problematic use of video games. A higher proportion of high frequency compared with low frequency players preferred massively multiplayer online role-playing games, although the majority of high frequency players preferred other game types. Problematic use of video games was associated with lower scores on life satisfaction and with elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Video game use was not associated with reported amount of physical exercise.

The relationship between media use in the bedroom, sleep habits and symptoms of insomnia

This postal questionnaire study investigated the use of media in the bedroom and its relationships with sleep habits and symptoms of insomnia. The sample comprised 2500 individuals aged 16–40 years drawn randomly from the Norwegian national register. A total of 816 (34.0%) completed and returned the questionnaire. Respondents were asked how often they used computers, television sets, DVD players, game consoles and mobile telephones and listened to music/radio in their bedrooms. They also reported sleep habits on weekdays and at weekends/days off and symptoms of insomnia. After controlling for gender, age, anxiety and depression, the respondents who used a computer in the bedroom ‘often’ compared to ‘rarely’ rose later on weekdays and at weekends/days off, turned off the lights to go to sleep later at weekends/days off, slept more hours at weekends/days off and had a greater discrepancy between turning off the lights to go to sleep on weekdays and at weekends/days off. Respondents who used a mobile telephone in their bedrooms at night ‘often’ compared to ‘rarely’ turned off the lights to go to sleep later on weekdays and at weekends/days off, and rose later at weekends/days off. No such differences were found with the use of the other media. There were also no significant differences in symptoms of insomnia. This study indicates that the use of computers and mobile telephones in the bedroom are related to poor sleep habits, but that media use in the bedroom seems to be unrelated to symptoms of insomnia.

A controlled study of the effect of cognitive–behavioural group therapy for pathological gamblers

As the number of pathological gamblers has increased recently, the need for effective treatment has become more evident. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term cognitive–behavioural group therapy programme for pathological gamblers. Fourteen subjects (three females and 11 males), who met the criteria for pathological gambling in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, were randomly assigned to a Treatment Group (n=7) or a waiting list Control Group (n=7). An experimental design with three repeated measures was used (pre-treatment, post-treatment/post-waiting list and follow-up). The dependent variables were DSM-IV Criteria for Pathological Gambling, Money Spent on Gambling During the Last Week and Gamblers Inventory of Negative Consequences. The Treatment Group improved on the DSM-IV Criteria for Pathological Gambling, but did not show a significant improvement on Money Spent on Gambling During the Last week from pre-treatment to post-treatment. Combining both groups at 3-months follow-up, there was a significant improvement on all three variables from pre-treatment to follow-up. The results of this controlled study indicate that a short-term cognitive–behavioural group treatment for pathological gamblers had an effect.

A comparison of impulsivity and sensation seeking in pathological gamblers and skydivers

The aim of this study was to compare pathological gamblers and skydivers in relation to measures of impulsivity and sensation seeking. The Eysenck Impulsivity Scale - Narrow Impulsiveness Subscale and the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking were administered to pathological gamblers (n = 29), skydivers (n = 93), and a control group (n = 43). A two-way multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to explore differences in impulsivity and sensation seeking between the groups and possible group by gender and group by age interaction effects. The significant effects were further investigated using follow-up univariate analysis of variance. The results showed significant main effects of Group, Gender and Age, and a significant Group by Gender interaction effect. The results showed no statistically significant differences in impulsivity between pathological gamblers and skydivers; however, both groups scored higher than the controls. The skydivers scored higher compared to the pathological gamblers and controls on both sensation seeking subscales. Pathological gamblers scored higher than the controls on the subscale Need for Stimulus Intensity, although lower than the controls on the subscale Need for Novelty. We conclude that skydivers and pathological gamblers do not seem to differ in terms of impulsivity, but that the two groups differ in terms of sensation seeking. Skydivers are hence characterized by more sensation seeking compared to pathological gamblers. Skydiving, as opposed to pathological gambling, is not considered a psychiatric disorder, and skydiving may represent a more non-pathological way to fulfill the need for stimulus intensity.

Description and pre-post evaluation of a telephone and Internet based treatment programme for pathological gambling in Norway: a pilot study

Although the effectiveness of treatments for pathological gamblers is gaining support, only 10% of pathological gamblers seek treatment. Providing treatment via the Internet may lower the thresholds for treatment seeking. A new telephone and Internet based treatment programme for pathological gamblers is presented in this article, along with a pre-post evaluation of the programme. The participants (N = 112) were problem gamblers who were either self-referred or referred by their general practitioner. Data from post-treatment and 3-month follow-up are evaluated. The results suggest that using Internet and telephone-assisted treatment interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of pathological gambling (measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen – Revised). The intervention was also associated with improvement on cognitive distortions, measured by the Gamblers Belief Questionnaire, and general psychological distress and psychopathology as measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Although Internet-based treatment programmes have been suggested to have advantages compared to traditional face-to-face therapy, research in this area is scarce. This pilot study contributes to the growing literature in this area, and provides tentative support for the effectiveness of Internet based treatment interventions for pathological gamblers.

A pilot study of CBT versus escitalopram combined with CBT in the treatment of pathological gamblers

We conducted a randomised controlled trial pilot study (N = 30) with two treatment groups: (1) Manualised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (n = 15) and (2) escitalopram combined with CBT (n = 15). Treatment was administered individually and the CBT included weekly sessions for eight consecutive weeks. The treatment with escitalopram lasted for a minimum of 16 weeks (20 mg/day), with an optional continuation for a 6-month follow-up period. Repeated measures ANOVA with modified intent-to-treat analyses were conducted. Results showed significant time effects on all measures for both treatment conditions, although no significant group or time × group effects. The results indicated that both treatments were effective in the short term (effect sizes (ES) ranging from 0.45 to 0.91 for the CBT group and 0.27 to 0.72 for the escitalopram+CBT group), and that adding CBT to escitalopram had no additional statistically significant effect (between-group ES of 0.11 and 0.29 for primary outcome measures at 16-weeks post-treatment).

Diminished aversive classical conditioning in pathological gamblers

AIMS Impaired ability to form associations between negative events in gambling and aversive somatic reactions may be a predisposing factor for pathological gambling. The current study investigated whether a group of pathological gamblers and a control group differed in aversive classical conditioning. DESIGN A differential aversive classical conditioning paradigm, which consisted of three phases. In the habituation phase, one 850-Hz tone stimulus and one 1500-Hz tone stimulus were presented three times each in random order. In the acquisition phase, the two tones were presented 10 times each in random order, and one was always followed by a 100-dB burst of white noise. In the extinction phase the two tones were presented three times each without the white noise. SETTING University laboratory testing facilities and out-patient treatment facilities. PARTICIPANTS Twenty pathological gamblers and 20 control participants. MEASUREMENTS Duration of seven cardiac interbeat-intervals (IBIs) following tone offset, gambling severity, tobacco and alcohol use, anxiety and depression. FINDINGS No group differences were found in the habituation and acquisition phases. However, a significant group × stimuli × trials × IBIs interaction effect was found in the extinction phase (P < 0.049). Follow-up analysis indicated that the pathological gamblers did not show aversive classical conditioning, but that the control group did. CONCLUSIONS Pathological gamblers have a diminished capacity to form associations between aversive events and stimuli that predict aversive events. Aversion learning is likely to be an ineffective treatment for pathological gamblers.

Evaluating lifetime NODS using Rasch modelling

Rasch modelling was conducted by applying the lifetime NODS criteria using data from a national representative sample aged from 15 to 74 years in Norway (N = 5235). To a large extent, the results replicated previous findings, supporting the view that the DSM-IV gambling symptoms have a unidimensional structure. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis indicated that younger gamblers (aged 15–25 years) were more likely to endorse the symptom of ‘chasing’ than older gamblers. Likewise, DIF analysis indicated that female gamblers were more likely to report ‘escape’ at lower levels of problem gambling than males. Moreover, the results showed that younger gamblers were less likely to endorse symptoms of ‘withdrawal’ and ‘loss of control’ than older gamblers. As the results may be explained by age and gender-specific correlates (or behaviour), future studies should include extended age groups (e.g. 12–75 years) or conduct Rasch modelling and DIF analysis on specific adolescent gambling instruments.

Is the Gambling Motives Questionnaire really three-dimensional? A proposition of a four-dimensional Gambling Motives Questionnaire – Revised

The aim of the present study was to improve the weaknesses of the three-dimensional Gambling Motives Questionnaire and to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Gambling Motives Questionnaire-Revised. The Gambling Motives Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 418 gamblers (92% men, mean age 19.5years). Participants completed the Gambling Motives Questionnaire and an additional item tapping boredom, as well as a variety of measures of gambling behavior and gambling problems as criterion measures. Results showed that the Gambling Motives Questionnaire-Revised is better represented as a four-factor structure tapping the following four gambling motives factors; enhancement, coping, social, and self-gratification, Δχ2 Δ(df)=24.76 (3), p<0.001. Removing two problematic items from the Gambling Motives Questionnaire and adding an extra item tapping boredom also improved the fit of the Gambling Motives Questionnaire-Revised. The subscales enhancement, social, and coping were all significant predictors of variety of gambling behaviors (p<0.05), whereas enhancement, coping, and self-gratification predicted frequency of gambling behaviors (p<0.01). Coping and self-gratification predicted loss of control (p<0.01), whereas self-gratification predicted gambling problems (p<0.001). The Gambling Motives Questionnaire - Revised, consisting of the four dimensions enhancement motives, social motives, coping motives and self-gratification motives, is a reliable and valid instrument to measuring gambling motives.

Gaming behavior among conscripts: The role of lower psychosocial well-being factors in explaining gaming addiction

Gaming addiction is usually characterized by a loss of control and mental instability, which may be particularly problematic in the military where task performance often requires optimal physical and mental functioning. No previous studies have thus far investigated levels of gaming addiction among conscripts. The aim of the present study was to assess the levels of gaming addiction among conscripts (at the entry of service), and to investigate if indicators of lower psychosocial well-being (particularly boredom, loneliness, depression, and anxiety) can help explain the variance in gaming addiction among conscripts. Lower psychosocial well-being has previously been related to gaming addiction in the general population, and coping with negative emotions has also been identified as a major motivation for gaming. The sample consisted of 1,017 conscripts (80.3% men) with a mean age of 19.5 years (SD = 1.0). Results showed that 4.8% of the conscripts were addicted to gaming, and the addicted gamers scored significantly higher on boredom, loneliness, depression, and anxiety, compared with nonproblem gamers and nongamers. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that weekly time spent gaming explained most of the variance in gaming addiction (18.8%) whereas the indicators of low psychosocial well-being explained an additional 6.7% in Step 2, where depression, loneliness, and lack of external stimulation contributed significantly. Addiction is likely to have negative impact on training, operative ability, and task performance of the soldiers; hence a revision of the present selection criteria to include gaming addiction as an exclusion criterion for drafting may be warranted.