Predictors of Gaming Behavior among Military Peacekeepers – Exploring the Role of Boredom and Loneliness in Relation to Gaming Problems

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to explore gaming problems in post-deployment veterans and to investigate whether boredom and loneliness can predict levels of gaming problems. The general well-being of veterans post their deployments to war zones is linked to an array of negative health consequences, and veterans may be at risk for developing gaming problems after homecomings. Problems that may be related to engagement in gaming include coping with negative emotions, such as boredom and loneliness, which are often faced by homecoming veterans as well. The sample in this study comprised Afghanistan veterans (N = 246), with a mean age of 37.5 years (standard deviation = 9.6 years), and 8.8% of the veterans showed symptoms indicative of problem gaming. This is not higher than that found in the general adult population in Norway. Logistic regression analyses showed that boredom proneness (lack of internal stimulation) and enhancement motivation were independent significant predictors of gaming problems, after controlling for age, gender, coping motivation, social motivation, anxiety, depression, loneliness, lack of external stimulation, hazardous drinking, and combat exposure. These factors accounted for as much as 65.8% of the variance in gaming problem status. We conclude that veterans who are highly motivated by enhancement motives and score low on lack of internal stimulation may be prone to developing gaming problems.

Psychopathological Symptoms and Gaming Motives in Disordered Gaming—A Psychometric Comparison between the WHO and APA Diagnostic Frameworks

“…The mediation models tested were all informed by previous research suggesting that gaming motives are linked to GD and that they mediate the relationship between psychopathological symptoms and GD [14,24,31,54,55,56]. Overall, the findings corroborated the existing evidence suggesting that gaming motives play an important role in mediating the relationship between psychopathological symptoms (such as depression [57], loneliness [58] and attention problems [59]) and GD even when analyzed according to different diagnostic frameworks for GD. Taken together, the mediation analyses indicated that gaming motives play an important role in mediating the relationship between several psychopathological symptoms and GD regardless of the diagnostic framework employed to diagnose GD.…”

Measurement and Conceptualization of Gaming Disorder According to the World Health Organization Framework: the Development of the Gaming Disorder Test

“…More specifically, GD, loneliness, and depression were examined within a bi-directional association pattern when controlling for weekly time spent gaming, age, and gender effects. This rationale was informed by previous empirical research suggesting that GD, loneliness, and depression are consistently implicated at the cross-sectional level (e.g., Burleigh et al 2018;Lee et al 2018;Lemmens et al 2015;Myrseth et al 2017;Pontes 2017). More specifically, these studies reported a positive association between these constructs.…”

Connection, meaning, and distraction: A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems

“…Consistent with a focus on the importance of social and role functioning in psychological well-being, gamers themselves believe that interference with life areas, including avoidance of social interactions, is a primary indicator of gaming-related problems (Colder Carras et al, 2018a). Among military gamers, problematic play is not associated with loneliness or coping when pursuing positive feelings and avoiding boredom are controlled for (Myrseth et al, 2017). Clearly, commercial video games show the potential to help veterans, but it is also necessary to investigate factors that might create additional problems.…”