How widespread is Internet Gaming Disorder among young adults?

A new comprehensive analysis published in the journal Addictive Behaviors suggests that Internet Gaming Disorder is a significant mental health concern for young adults, affecting approximately six percent of this population globally. The findings indicate that problematic gaming is not limited to adolescence but continues to impact individuals well into their twenties and thirties. The systematic review also provides evidence that the methods used to diagnose the condition heavily influence how widespread it appears to be.

The scientific community and the general public have historically viewed video game addiction as a problem primarily affecting children and teenagers. Educational campaigns and parental concerns usually focus on screen time limits for minors. However, the period known as young adulthood brings its own unique set of psychological and social challenges.

Young adulthood, typically defined as the ages between 18 and 35, involves major life transitions. Individuals in this age group are often pursuing higher education, entering the workforce, or seeking financial independence. These milestones can create instability and stress.

Previous research indicates that young adults may turn to gaming as a coping mechanism to manage the anxieties associated with these life changes. Despite this, prevalence estimates for gaming disorders in this demographic have varied wildly in past literature. The authors of the current study sought to resolve these inconsistencies by aggregating data from around the world.

“Most prevalence research on Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has focused on adolescents, while young adults are often treated as a residual or mixed group. However, this life stage is marked by significant transitions and vulnerabilities that may increase the risk of problematic gaming. We aimed to provide an updated, age-specific estimate of IGD prevalence in young adults and to clarify why prevalence figures vary so widely across studies,” said study author Claudio Longobardi, a professor at the University of Turin.

Internet Gaming Disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent and recurrent gaming behavior that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress. Recognized as a condition for further study in the DSM-5-TR and an official diagnosis in the ICD-11, IGD is distinct from high-frequency gaming in that it involves a loss of control and negative life consequences.

Symptoms often mirror other addictive behaviors, including preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms like irritability when not playing, the development of tolerance requiring increased play time, and unsuccessful attempts to curb the behavior. For a behavior to be classified as IGD, it must typically result in the neglect of other interests, deception regarding the extent of gaming, or the jeopardizing of significant relationships, educational paths, or career opportunities.

The researchers aimed to provide a reliable estimate of how many young adults meet the criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. They also sought to identify specific factors that might cause prevalence rates to fluctuate between different studies.

The research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. This is a statistical method that combines the results of multiple independent studies to identify stronger patterns than any single study could show. They searched for relevant research articles published between 2015 and 2025.

The selection process ensured that only studies with original empirical data were included. The researchers focused specifically on samples of participants aged 18 to 35. They excluded studies that did not provide sufficient demographic details or those that focused solely on clinical populations already diagnosed with other conditions.

The final analysis incorporated data from 96 analytical samples found within 93 separate studies. The total number of participants across all these studies was 149,601. The average age of the individuals in these samples was approximately 23.5 years.

The gender distribution in the total pool of participants was relatively balanced. Women accounted for 51.22 percent of the sample. This allowed the researchers to examine potential gender differences in the prevalence of gaming problems.

The researchers used generalized linear mixed models to calculate the pooled prevalence of the disorder. This statistical approach helps to account for the variation and non-normal distribution of data often found in prevalence studies. It offers a more accurate estimate than simpler averaging methods.

The study determined that the overall pooled prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder among young adults is 6.1 percent. This suggests that roughly one in every sixteen young adults may experience significant impairment due to their gaming habits. This rate is higher than some estimates for the general population.

The analysis revealed a clear distinction based on how researchers recruited their participants. Some studies focused exclusively on individuals who self-identified as gamers. In these gamer-only samples, the prevalence rate rose to 8.1 percent.

Other studies utilized mixed samples that included both gamers and non-gamers from the general population. In these broader groups, the prevalence was lower, estimated at 5.47 percent. This difference highlights the importance of context when interpreting statistics about gaming addiction.

“From a public health perspective, even a prevalence of 5–8% translates into a large number of affected individuals worldwide,” Longobardi told PsyPost. “The wide variability across studies also shows that how we measure IGD matters greatly. This has practical implications for screening, prevention, and policy decisions.”

The researchers also found that the specific questionnaire used to screen for the disorder had a major impact on the results. Instruments based on the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), tended to yield higher prevalence rates. Tools based on other frameworks, such as the ten-item Internet Gaming Disorder Test, resulted in lower estimates.

The DSM-5 criteria for the disorder include symptoms such as preoccupation with gaming and withdrawal symptoms when not playing. They also include the development of tolerance, meaning the need to play more to achieve the same satisfaction. Other signs involve unsuccessful attempts to quit and the loss of interest in other hobbies.

To receive a diagnosis under DSM-5 guidelines, an individual typically must meet five of nine specific criteria within a 12-month period. The severity of the condition is judged by how much it disrupts the person’s daily life. The variability in diagnostic tools suggests that the scientific community has not yet reached a complete consensus on how best to measure this condition.

Another key finding related to the size of the sample used in a study. The analysis showed that larger studies tended to report lower prevalence rates of the disorder. Smaller studies were more likely to report higher figures, possibly due to statistical noise or selection biases.

The researchers assessed the quality of the included studies using a risk-of-bias checklist. This tool evaluates factors such as whether the sample was representative and if the statistical analysis was appropriate. In samples composed entirely of gamers, studies with a high risk of bias reported significantly higher prevalence rates.

“One striking finding was how strongly prevalence estimates depended on the diagnostic instrument and study quality,” Longobardi said. “Studies with higher risk of bias or smaller samples tended to report much higher prevalence, which suggests that some widely cited figures may be overestimates.”

There was also a temporal trend observed within the gamer-only samples. The analysis indicated that prevalence estimates in these groups have increased over time. This suggests that problematic gaming may be becoming more common among enthusiasts as the years progress.

This increase could be linked to the changing nature of video games themselves. Modern games often include mechanics that encourage prolonged play, such as loot boxes and complex reward systems. The rise of competitive gaming and esports might also contribute to more intensive engagement.

The study examined potential differences based on geography. The samples came from diverse regions, including Asia, Europe, and North America. However, the analysis did not find statistically significant differences in prevalence based on the continent of origin.

This lack of regional variation might suggest that video gaming has become a truly globalized phenomenon. The mechanics of games and the culture surrounding them are shared across borders. This could lead to similar patterns of behavior regardless of where a person lives.

Gender also appeared to play a role, though the evidence was less definitive. There was a trend suggesting that samples with a higher proportion of women had lower prevalence rates. This aligns with historical data suggesting men are more frequently diagnosed with gaming disorders.

“Our results suggest that IGD affects a non-negligible proportion of young adults (around 6% overall, and over 8% among gamers) making it more common than many people assume for this age group,” Longobardi explained. “Gaming itself is not inherently problematic, but for a minority it can become a source of significant impairment. Awareness and early identification are therefore important, especially in educational and clinical settings.”

But readers should interpret these findings with an understanding of certain limitations. Most of the data included in this meta-analysis comes from self-report surveys. These are screening tools and do not constitute a formal clinical diagnosis made by a mental health professional. Self-reported data can sometimes lead to overestimation. Participants might misinterpret questions or exaggerate their symptoms, or some might downplay their behavior.

The study also noted a high degree of heterogeneity, or variability, between the results of the included studies. This means that even within the same category of people, different studies produced very different numbers. This variability suggests that unrecognized factors are still influencing the data.

There is also the potential for publication bias. The analysis detected asymmetry in the data that suggests studies with dramatic or positive results are more likely to be published. Studies finding no evidence of gaming disorder might remain in file drawers, skewing the public record.

“Our findings should not be read as implying that gaming is broadly harmful, but rather that a specific pattern of dysregulated gaming affects a vulnerable subgroup of young adults,” Longobardi noted. “Future work should focus on improving methodological consistency, aligning assessment tools with DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, and examining IGD in relation to comorbid mental health conditions. We are also interested in longitudinal studies to better understand developmental trajectories from adolescence into adulthood.”

The study, “Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” was authored by Júlia Gisbert-Pérez, Claudio Longobardi, Manuel Martí-Vilar, Sofia Mastrokoukou, and Laura Badenes-Ribera.