Background And Aims: The Common-Sense Model asserts that illness representations of a health threat affect coping and behavioral reactions to it. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a newly defined mental disorder and leads to various health consequences. Little is known about illness representations of IGD and help-seeking for IGD among young adults who are at particular risk of IGD.
Objective: This study investigated the roles of illness representations in intention to seek help from professionals and important others (families and friends) for IGD in college students in China.
Methods: A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted with a convenience sample of college students in China (N = 591, 57.9% females, Mean = 19.10). Descriptive analyses and logistic regression analyses were conducted.
Results: Approximately 10% of participants were classified as having probable IGD. However, over 70% endorsed self-diagnosed IGD. Less than 40% perceived resources of help-seeking, and most perceived shame for help-seeking. Less than 40% intended to seek help from professionals, and 26% from family and friends. Significant predictors of intention to seek professional help included probable IGD, perceived resources of help-seeking for IGD, consequence, timeline, and treatment. Significant predictors of intention to seek help from family and friends included probable IGD, self-diagnosed IGD, perceived resources of help-seeking for IGD, shame for help-seeking for IGD, timeline, treatment control, identity, concern, and emotional response. Females were more likely to seek both types of help.
Discussion And Conclusions: Perceptions of IGD and help-seeking play significant roles in help-seeking intentions. These modifiable factors can be used to guide the development of health promotion and behavioral change programs to promote help-seeking for IGD.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107233 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Cognitive Mechanisms Between Psychosocial Resources and the Behavioral Intention of Professional Help-Seeking for Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Adolescent Gamers: Cross-Sectional Mediation Study.
JMIR Public Health Surveill
November 2024
Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Article Synopsis
- Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a significant public health issue for adolescents, highlighting the need for professional help-seeking for early intervention.
- The study investigates factors influencing adolescents’ intentions to seek help for IGD, focusing on psychosocial resources such as resilience, social support, and self-efficacy.
- Results show that over half of surveyed adolescents show a willingness to seek help, with higher resilience, social support, and self-efficacy linked to increased help-seeking behavior.
Stigmatizing attitudes toward Internet gaming disorder, Problematic smartphone use and Problematic social networking site use: An experimental vignette study.
Addict Behav
June 2023
Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Public stigma on substance and gambling disorders have been well documented. Negative effects of stigma include shame, embarrassment, fear being judged and the determent of help-seeking behaviors among stigmatized individuals. Less is known about the public perception toward Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and other widespread problematic behaviors that share some characteristics with established behavioral addictions, such as Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and Problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMental health literacy of Internet gaming disorder and problematic smartphone use among Korean teenagers.
PLoS One
December 2022
Center for School Mental Health, Eulji University, Seoul, Korea.
The last few decades have seen an increased interest in 'Mental Health Literacy (MHL)' which addresses knowledge and beliefs relating to mental health problems and is likely to hinder treatment-seeking behaviors. Although MHL research to date has explored various mental disorders, far too little attention has been paid to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Problematic Smartphone use (PSU). The objective of this study is to develop an MHL questionnaire for IGD and PSU by adopting the MHL approach in the previous literature and examine MHL of IGD and PSU in Korean teenagers by focusing on their ability to recognize addictions, and perceptions and help-seeking attitudes towards a person with addictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of illness representations of internet gaming disorder (IGD) in help-seeking intention among undergraduates: A longitudinal study.
Addict Behav
May 2022
Department of Psychology, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. Electronic address:
Background And Aims: The Common-Sense Model asserts that illness representations of a health threat affect coping and behavioral reactions to it. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a newly defined mental disorder and leads to various health consequences. Little is known about illness representations of IGD and help-seeking for IGD among young adults who are at particular risk of IGD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!