Relación entre la salud mental y la adicción a los videojuegos en adolescentes

Abstract

Abstract: In 2019, the World Health Organization presented a report where video game addiction was included in the ICD-11; subsequently the pandemic produced by covid-19 evidences a growth of mental disorders and in the use of video games, giving negative results to mental health. Due to this new context, the present research aims to examine the mental health and video game addiction. The sample consisted of 300 Ecuadorian adolescents, 34.5% of them were female and 65.5% were male with a mean age of 16.89 (± 0.94). The methodology used was descriptive, correlational and transactional using the DASS-21 and the IGD-20 as instruments. The results showed the absence of severe mental problems and video game addiction in the sample; on the other hand, there is a positive and significant correlation between the variables of anxiety, depression and stress and the problematic use of video games. These findings corroborate the need for new studies on behavioral addictions, as well as the promotion of spaces that encourage the primary prevention of this new problem.