The network and temporal changes among internet gaming disorder symptoms, suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Hong Kong
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Adolescent Internet gaming disorder (IGD), depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation are significant public health concerns. However, their temporal dynamics and symptom-level interactions in adolescents remain unclear. This study aims to explore the longitudinal relationships and network interactions between IGD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among Hong Kong adolescents. Methods We conducted a one-year, two-wave longitudinal study with 7581 Hong Kong adolescents. The participants completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire in their classrooms. Two trained research assistants administered the surveys, which took approximately 20 min to complete. Cross-lagged panel network analysis was used to examine contemporaneous and temporal associations, with subgroup analyses by gender. Results Both the contemporaneous and temporal network analyses demonstrated distinct patterns when stratified by gender. In contemporaneous networks, significant differences in the overall structures of male and female adolescents’ networks were observed ( M = 0.10, p < 0.01). “Giving up other activities due to gaming” (IGD5) was a central symptom for males' network, whereas suicidal ideation was the most central symptom for females' network. Longitudinally, depressive symptoms were strongly correlated with subsequent suicidal ideation in both genders. Conclusion Our findings emphasize important gender-specific differences in these dynamic relationships and offer direction for developing tailored transdiagnostic interventions aimed at addressing the complex interplay between behavioral addictions and emotional disorders among adolescents.
Authors: Xue Yang, Xu Chen, Qian Li, Yilun Huang, Winnie W.S. Mak
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,880
Awards: A randomized controlled trial of an internet-based self-help skill strengthening (ISSS) selective intervention for secondary school teachers with emotional problems, A longitudinal study for identifying predictors of incidence/remission of probable depression and developing a predictive index for probable depression among secondary school students, G6377162730, Implementation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Intervention Program in Secondary School Students According to RE‑AIM and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, Developing and evaluating a low-intensity secondary theory-based Chatbot intervention to reduce common digital addictions, sedentary behaviors and mental distress among adolescents: A randomized controlled trial, G873553693
OpenAlex ID: W4417000491