29th International Conference on Psychology Health, Human Resilience and Well-being was held on May 06, 2020 in the form of an online-conference. The participants performed a webinar presentation. Topics were raised about mental disorders, increasing people’s stress tolerance during the COVID-19 epidemic, brain changes in autism, etc. IASGA President Tatjana Zinchenko presented a report on the topic «Interconnection between gambling addiction (GD) and Internet gaming addiction (IGD) and comorbid psychopathology. Risk and time sequence of the conditions».
Object – analysis of existing studies finds a high degree of correlation between IGD and anxiety 92%, with depression 89%, with ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 85% , with social phobia/anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms 75%. In the gambling addiction case, the highest comorbidity was found with psychoactive substance use up to 57.5%; with depression 23% – 40%; with anxiety disorder 37.4-60% of players. Thus, psychoactive substance dependence is 5-6 times higher and the incidence of anxiety and mood disorders is 3 times higher in individuals with GD compared to the General population. It has been shown from these studies that comorbid psychopathology joined in more than half of the cases after a person started playing and was associated with problems that arose as a result of behavioral addiction. At abandonment from a game and restore healthy vital activity severity of symptoms decreased. In other studies, it is difficult to establish a temporal sequence.
Gambling addiction can form in individuals without mental disorders, as well as in people with mental disorders at the subclinical or clinical level. But as a result, new mental disorders are added, or existing ones are aggravated. The question is not in any particularly vulnerable group of people, but in the modern products of the gaming industry, which themselves are the main risk factor for GD and IGD development and their accompanying psychopathology.
After the report, a question was asked about gender in gaming addictions. Indeed, Internet video games are more common among men. And involvement in dependence on social networks is more common among women. Currently, there is also an increase in women’s involvement in online gambling. This is due to the work of advertising and due to a certain anonymity when participating in gambling. The gaming industry also notes this gender disparity and makes its products more attractive to women. Thus, gambling addictions are widespread among both sexes and all ages.
After the report, there was also an interest among researchers and professionals to study this phenomenon in depth due to its global significance and relevance.