Is internet gaming disorder associated with trauma and stress? Testing the trauma model of addiction among young adults

Abstract

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a growing public health concern, with longitudinal studies linking it to a range of negative outcomes, including psychological distress and poor academic achievements. While the trauma model has been applied to other addictive behaviors, little is known about the relationship between childhood trauma, trauma-related symptoms, and IGD symptoms. This preliminary study investigated whether childhood betrayal trauma would have a stronger relationship with IGD symptoms than non-betrayal trauma and whether IGD symptoms would be associated with interpersonal stress and trauma-related symptoms. A regionally diverse, predominantly female sample of English-speaking young adults aged 18 to 24 (N = 283) completed validated standardized measures. We found that IGD symptoms were associated with childhood non-betrayal trauma (β = .225, p < .001) and interpersonal stress (β = .214, p < .001) but not with childhood betrayal trauma and post-traumatic and dissociative symptoms. While the results should be interpreted with caution because of the limitations of this study, it extends the application of the trauma model of addiction to the context of IGD. Our study underscores the universal importance of child protection and early interventions for childhood trauma survivors in the prevention of addictive behaviors.