Internet Gaming Disorder and Internet Addiction: Comparing Italian and Migrant Children and Adolescents

research suggests that adolescents with a migrant background may be particularly vulnerable to behavioral addictions, including problematic gaming and Internet use.

we compared Italian (ITA) and non-Italian (WIC) students on Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Internet Addiction (IA) and examined whether coping strategies and interpersonal-relationship quality were associated with these outcomes, using robust linear models estimated with the GENLIN procedure in IBM SPSS Statistics 31 and regression-based models on observed variables. A total of 535 students (64.5% female; aged 9-18) completed the Video Games Addiction Questionnaire (VGA), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist-Revised (CCSC), and the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations (AIR).

robust generalized linear models showed that WIC adolescents reported significantly higher IGD levels than their Italian peers, while no differences emerged for IA. Gender differences were evident only in unadjusted models, with males reporting higher IGD and females higher IA; however, these effects were not significant once age and nationality were considered simultaneously. Age was positively associated with IA but not with IGD. Avoidance coping was associated with higher levels of both IGD and IA, whereas active coping was negatively associated with IGD. Relationship quality was not associated with IGD but showed protective effects for IA: better relationships with mothers and with both male and female peers were associated with lower IA scores. Overall, the findings highlight that IGD and IA follow partially distinct developmental patterns. Migrant background emerged as a specific vulnerability factor for IGD, while IA appears more closely linked to age-related processes, coping styles, and interpersonal-relationship quality.

the results call for differentiated prevention and intervention approaches targeting the distinct etiological mechanisms of each problematic behavior, focusing on coping and migration-related stress and belonging for IGD, and on strengthening coping repertoires and relational resources for IA.