Annika Hofstedt – Regaining Control Over Gaming
Dissertation for Medicine Doctoral degree at Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry
Full thesis title
Regaining Control Over Gaming: Clinical Features and Treatment of Gaming Disorder
Opponent and examining committee
Opponent: Associate Professor Emma Claesdotter-Knutsson, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund
Examining committee: Professor Eva Billstedt (chair), Professor Kent Nilsson (UU) and Associate Professor Anneli Goulding
Good to know
The disputation is held in Swedish.
Welcome to attend online via streaming, via Zoom Webinar: link to be announced
Chairperson of the disputation: Associate Professor Louise Adermark
Treating Gaming Disorder
Gaming has become increasingly popular and accessible worldwide over the past decades. Concurrently, a minority of gamers experience significant negative consequences from gaming and meet the criteria for the newly defined diagnosis of gaming disorder (GD).
This thesis aims to explore the clinical characteristics of individuals seeking treatment for GD and to evaluate a psychological treatment for GD.
Papers I and II focus on the clinical population. Paper I compared adults and younger patients, regarding symptoms and progression into GD. The younger group reported a more rapid progression into problematic gaming, whereas no differences were observed in GD symptoms or psychiatric comorbidities. Paper II used qualitative interviews to identify factors that maintain excessive gaming, highlighting game-related factors, individual characteristics, and aspects of life outside gaming. Papers III and IV investigate whether a new cognitive-behavioral therapy reduces GD symptoms. Paper III reports an uncontrolled study significant and sustained reductions in GD symptoms, gaming time, anxiety, and depression. Paper IV describes the protocol for an ongoing randomized controlled trial comparing the treatment with a waitlist control condition.
In conclusion, GD is maintained by a complex interplay of factors, and psychiatric comorbidity is common among both younger and older patients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a promising approach, but more rigorous treatment studies are needed. The findings of this thesis may contribute to the development of treatments for GD, ultimately helping patients regain control over their gaming.
