Internet Gaming Disorders and Early Onset Psychosis in Young People: A Case Study and Clinical Observations

Valerio Ricci (), Domenico De Berardis, Giuseppe Maina and Giovanni Martinotti
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Valerio Ricci: San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
Domenico De Berardis: NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service for Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital “G. Mazzini”, ASL 4, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Giuseppe Maina: San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
Giovanni Martinotti: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: Background: Over the last ten years, the video game industry has grown exponentially, involving about 2.5 billion young adults in the world. The estimated global prevalence of gaming addiction has been reported to be 3.5% ranging from 0.21% to 57.5% in the general population. Moreover, during the recent COVID-19 pandemic period, school closures and stay-at-home measures have also further increased the opportunities for prolonged and intensified playing of video games. Little is known about the relationship between IGD and psychosis, and the literature is still scarce. Some characteristics of patients with psychosis, particularly those with a first-episode psychosis (FEP), may suggest that these individuals would be particularly liable to develop IGD. Case presentation: We report two cases of young patients with to Internet gaming disorder, experiencing early onset psychosis treated with antipsychotic therapy. Conclusion: Although it is difficult to show the specific mechanisms underlying the psychopathological alterations in IGD, it is clear that excessive exposure to video games could be a risk factor for precipitating psychosis especially in a vulnerable age group such as adolescence. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of a higher risk of psychotic onset associated specifically with gaming disorders in very young people.

Keywords: internet gaming disorder; video games; psychotic disorder; early psychosis; first-episode psychosis; schizophrenia; psychosis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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