Psychometric Validation of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A) in Dutch Among Flemish Adolescents

The Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A, Paschke, Austermann & Thomasius, 2020) was the first screening tool for gaming disorder based on the new ICD-11 criteria. In order to increase the international applicability of the GADIS-A, the current study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the instrument. It was validated in a survey among 1773 Flemish (= Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) video game playing adolescents. EFA and CFA were performed to check the factor structure. The Video Game Addiction Test (VAT), gaming time, passion for gaming, Gaming Disorder Scale for Parents (GADIS-P), sensation seeking, impulsivity, adolescents' school and social life, and simulated and monetary gambling were employed to derive construct validity, and life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety to check criterion validity. Analyses suggested a two-factor structure in the Dutch GADIS-A, similar to the original study: the first factor relates to negative consequences, while the second factor reveals cognitive-behavioral symptoms. Both subscales and the total scale showed acceptable-to-good internal consistency (α = 0.78-0.85). Significant correlations were established between GADIS-A and all other variables (except for sensation seeking), congruent with previous research. The Dutch version of the GADIS-A proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing gaming disorder in adolescents. It was also linked, for the first time, to the increasingly blurring lines between video gaming and monetary gambling.