Attention Deficit Disorder And Internet And Video Game Addiction: Literature Review
Panagiotidi researched relationships between ADHD traits in adults and problematic video game play (PVGP) had any correlation between the two. Some major factors associated with PVGP is poor time management, underlying personal problems, or mental health problems. ADHD has been repeatedly associated with addiction. The majority of studies so far have focused on children and adolescents. However problematic video game use is also common among adults. This is the main article that I used to start my search on ADD/ADHD it did give me a lot of information on what to search for.
Pearcy studied Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in multiple mental disorders including ADHD. IGD did explain a small portion of unique variances with mental disorders but did find many similarities with IDG and ADHD. Within the study all participants who met the criteria for IDG in the student sample also met the criteria for likely having ADHD. Based on the premise that those with ADHD appear to be able to better focus for extended periods of time on video games, compared to other activities. I did find the whole article interesting and the connection between ADHD and Gaming Disorders does need more research done but one bidirectional causality between ADHD and Increased video game play can be seen from this study.
Bing-qian’s research and studies in ADHD and Internet addiction (IA). With most video games being on line the correlation to being online extends to both. IA and ADHD both were associated with more severe symptoms of ADHD. Males were associated with IA, where there was no huge correlation in age and IA. IA is associated with ADHD among adolescents in both eastern and western countries. I think this can be extended to young adults and older adults as the trend is following popular culture with more and more information being received from the Internet on top of gaming.
Kietglaiwansiri’s research is focused on children with a median age of 9.5 to 10 years old that has been diagnosed ADHD. Participants with ADHD had a higher rate of compulsive video game use than the control group. The pattern of leisure activities including video game use should be assessed during health supervision visits. From my perspective this is something that can have direct effects to adults with ADHD and internet and gaming abuse. Intervention at a younger age and also ADHD being recognized at a young age can help/reduce the amount of addiction types in adults.
Stockdale studied how video game addiction (VGA) had poorer mental health and cognitive functioning including poorer impulse control and they compared them to ADHD. To find this information out they study used internet gaming disorder scale (IGDS). This study added a lot of information and added growing evidence that video game addictions and it should be considered a valid phenomenon. With this being a more in-depth study that expanded to other mental disorders including ADHD this gives a good direction as a whole to other health related issues.
Grillo’s article goes over how ADHD children already have attention problems and are prone to be sucked into the world of video games. He suggests that like everything this should be moderated but requires more intervention from outside sources. His practice is using screen technology that looks like a video game to help concentration with a goal to reduce the need for medication. The fact that society is increasingly using screens for everyday needs children as well as adults with ADHD your spending a lot of time in front of one. I look at this as a direction that more mental health laboratories should study more to help from a growing issue stabilize.
Mathews article is another study on individuals with ADHD and VGA especially with playing games with more reinforcing properties are available. ADHD symptom severity was positively associated with being at a higher risk for developing VGA and also its negative consequences. The types of video games played didn’t have any impact on the study or what the participant preferred most. I look at this study to broaden understanding that it doesn’t matter what age or gender someone that has ADHD that the symptomatology and using them as predictors for VGA severity.
The article/blog goes over the attraction to video games to individuals with ADHD and looks at the good and evil of video games and the attraction to video games that many kids and adults with ADHD play. He goes over how the ADHD brain has difficulty managing impulses with the demographics video games are a natural fit. Hyper focusing for individuals that has ADHD is intense with that they tend to hyper focus on topics of particular appeal or significance to them, video games can be one of those things. I like how he suggests verbally sharing the parameters you set to help keep from developing a gaming problem.
The article covers how easy it is to do something when your brain is firing on all cylinders and how video games do that for individuals with ADHD. He goes over how having ADD/is about uneven attention and you have no control on where your attention goes. ADD is like a TV screen that keeps changing and someone else has the remote and by the time you get the remote you can’t remember what you wanted to do. This isn’t just over gaming addiction but puts things in laymen terms to give more depth to why people with ADD/ADHD is drawn to video games.
Low’s article on how the cyber world can provide stimuli and how it is a medium that seems to be attuned to the ADD/ADHD mind. In the article it breaks down the signs of addiction this is good for the individual. How to get help and if you are a parent on how to help a child with ADHD navigate the cyber world. The relatively ease of reading this article is added in the bibliography as an easy link to share with people that can get a direction on helping someone that has ADHD.
