Hobby enjoyed by millions of young people linked to risk of serious mental illness, shocking new study reveals
Hong Kong researchers surveyed 2,592 of children and teens currently in school and found that 31 per cent of the youngsters had a binge gaming problem.
The experts defined a binge gamer as someone who games on a console or PC for five or more hours consecutively.
Specifically, 30 per cent revealed that they binge game at least once a month, with this being 14.3 per cent more prevalent in boys.
In both genders, binge gamers experienced more instances of depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, poor sleep, and lessened confidence in their educational ability than non-gamers.
They also reported higher rates of a troubling gaming addiction medically known as internet gaming disorder (IGD).
The authors of the study said: 'Binge gaming may signify an initial phase in the progression of IDG and other severe social, physical and mental health issues.'
However, they added other risk factors may lead to the development of the disorder like attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.
In the UK, the latest government figures show 91 per cent of children and young people between three and 15 years old play video games.
The gaming disorder has even been labeled as a health condition by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In June, a study found that teens who spend more than two hours a day scrolling on phones or tablets doubled their risk of developing anxiety and quadrupled their chances of becoming depressed.
Prolonged screen time, particularly passively scrolling or 'doomscrolling', led to heightened anxiety, depression, aggression and impulsiveness among adolescents who took part in a nine-month study.
Neuroscientists said 45 per cent of the 12 to 17-year-olds they studied, who had no prior mental health conditions, experienced psychiatric symptoms that needed further medical evaluation.
The research comes amid a growing mental health crisis in Britain's schools, with NHS data showing more than a fifth of eight to 16-year-olds had a probable mental health problem in 2023, a rise of 7 per cent since 2017.
However, other studies have found that video gaming can have benefits—with one claiming it can be a better workout for the mind than physical exercise.
Last year, researchers found gamers scored better on memory, attention and reasoning compared to those who did not play video games.
Meanwhile moderate-level exercise of 150 minutes per week, in line with NHS guidelines, didn't boost memory and thinking skills, despite improving memory.
Another study with 97,000 participants found the often misunderstood hobby, gaming, had a positive impact on their mental health.
The Japanese researchers revealed owning a game console and playing games helped participants improve their wellbeing.
However, participants who played video games for over three hours a day did not enjoy the same benefits, which suggests the problem may lie in binge gaming.
But in one study, researchers found those who played video games for three or more benefits a day performed better in cognitive and memory tests.
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