Video gaming: A hobby with neuropsychiatric implications

Video gaming has increased worldwide over the last years. A subgroup of gamers may develop an unhealthy pattern of use with features of addiction. A literature review and analysis (2009-2015) was carried out. Most research is focused on children and adolescent, and recent data on Spanish population is lacking. There is no consensus definition of videogames addiction, although several tools have been developed to assess the unhealthy use. There are both positive and negative neurobiological and psychosocial implications of video-gaming. A poor psychosocial functioning seems the be a key factor for developing an addictive pattern of use. Being a male, online gaming, time spent playing, and socio-family factors have also been implicated. Conclusions reveal that, at a prevention level, society needs to be aware of the risk of uncontrolled gaming and, at a therapeutic level, clinicians need to be able to identify and treat unhealthy gaming. (C) 2017 Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.