Mental health predictors of Internet gaming disorder: a longitudinal study

Objective: We investigated whether a wide range of baseline mental disorders among university students predict Internet gaming disorder (IGD) 1 to 3 years later. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in six Mexican universities and had a 1- to 3-year follow-up period (September 2018 to June 2022). Participants were 1st-year university students (n=2,144) free of symptoms indicative of IGD at entry (baseline). Ten mental disorders (bipolar, major disorder, binging and/or purging, intermittent explosive disorder, psychotic experiences, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) at baseline were investigated as risk factors for IGD at the end of the follow-up. We used Cox regression to model the IGD incidence rate. Results: Any baseline mental disorder was associated with a 2.33 times (1.26-4.31) higher rate of IGD 1 to 3 years later. Several individual disorders were associated with rates of IGD in multiple models, with comorbid conditions diminishing most of these associations. Conclusion: Only major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder remained associated with new cases of IGD. The discrepant results of longitudinal studies on the role of specific mental disorders in the development of IGD should be further investigated.