Gamers' and non-gamers' perspectives on the development of problematic video game play

Gaming Disorder was recently included in the 11^th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases and Internet Gaming Disorder may be introduced in the sixth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Much is not understood about how problems with video games develop. This qualitative study aimed to better understand the development of problematic gaming through focus groups. Eleven young adult "frequent gamers," twelve young adult "non-frequent or non-gamers," and five older adult "non-gamers" discussed vulnerabilities and risk factors of problematic gaming. Participants across all groups believed that problematic gaming developed when people used video games as a primary means of meeting basic psychological needs that were unsatisfied, thwarted, or blocked outside of video games. Frequent and non-frequent gamers, compared to older adult non-gamers, were more likely to view video games as a healthy way to meet basic psychological needs and less likely to stereotype gamers. Video games are equipped to meet basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. That is, gamers often experience a sense of agency, skill, and connection to others when playing video games. However, problematic gaming may develop when people with unmet psychological needs rely exclusively on video games to meet them. Treatment and prevention approaches to problematic gaming can benefit from greater attention to helping at risk individuals meet needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness outside of video games.