Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Sep 5, 2023
Date Accepted: Sep 19, 2024
The cognitive mechanisms between psychosocial resources and behavioural intention of professional help-seeking to deal with internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescent gamers: a cross-sectional mediation study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Professional help-seeking is important for early screening/diagnosis/treatment for internet gaming disorder (IGD).
Objective:
This study investigated prevalence and factors of behavioral intention of professional help-seeking in the case of having IGD (BI-PHSIGD) and the underlying mechanisms among adolescent internet gamers.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among secondary school students who were internet gamers in two Chinese cities from October 2019 to January 2020. Data obtained from the full sample (n = 1,526) and the subsample of 256 IGD cases according to the 9-item DSM-5 Checklist were analysed.
Results:
The prevalence of BI-PHSIGD was 54.3% in the full sample and 40.6% in the IGD subsample (versus 57.1% among non-IGD cases). In the full sample, psychological resources of resilience/social support and self-efficacy in professional help-seeking (SE-PHS) were positively associated with BI-PHSIGD while perceived resource loss due to reduction in gaming time (PRL-RGT) was negatively associated with BI-PHSIGD; the positive association between psychological resources and BI-PHSIGD was fully mediated via two single-mediator indirect paths (via SE-PHS alone and via PRL-RGT alone) and one 2-mediator serial indirect path (firstly via PRL-RGT then via SE-PHS). In the IGD subgroup, a full mediation via SE-PHS alone but not the other paths were statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Many adolescent internet gamers, especially those with IGD, were unwilling to seek professional help in the case of having IGD. Early treatment cannot be achieved. To increase BI-PHSIGD, it is important to enhance psychological resources and SE-PHS and PRL-RGT. Future longitudinal studies are required to confirm and extend the findings.
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