Per Bore - Institutionen för kliniska vetenskaper, Lund

Title: Gaming disorder: understanding a new patient group and developing psychological treatment

Main supervisor: Emma Claesdotter-Knutsson

Reviewers: Rune Kristian Lundedal Nielsen & Sara Lindström

Abstract

Background

Gaming disorder is a new psychiatric diagnosis, characterized by impaired control over gaming, prioritizing gaming over other activities, and continuing to game despite negative consequences. The diagnosis has been criticized as premature, given limited evidence and that much of the existing research is based on surveys in non-clinical populations. With gaming disorder included in ICD-11, Swedish healthcare will be required to offer assessment and treatment once implemented. The current literature points to CBT as a promising treatment for gaming disorder, yet more research is needed and combining CBT with family therapy may improve outcomes. More information is needed on the characteristics of treatment-seeking patients and their treatment needs.

Research questions

I. What are the needs and characteristics of patients who seek treatment for gaming disorder?

II. How effective is a psychological treatment that combines cognitive behavioural therapy and family interventions for patients with gaming disorder? 

Preliminary results

Patients self-report a relatively low symptom burden, both in terms of gaming disorder symptoms and psychological distress, then would be expected in psychiatric populations. Yet they show noticeable impairments in their everyday functioning. This functional impairment may be a defining characteristic of this group and an important to take into consideration in treatment. We developed modular psychological treatment that combines interventions from CBT and family therapy. In a qualitative study with youth patients (aged 13–19 years), participants valued the combination of family therapy and individual CBT sessions, as well as the treatment’s focus on broader life issues such as school, sleep, and relationships. Most did not view gaming as their primary problem but connected it to challenges in these other life domains.

Significance

This research provides more knowledge about an understudied clinical patient group and their needs. By describing their clinical characteristics and exploring the patients’ experience of a treatment that combines CBT and family interventions, the project generates insights relevant to clinical practice. It also examines when gaming becomes problematic, helping us understand when we should be concerned and shows that gaming itself may not always be the primary problem, even among patients seeking help for problematic gaming.

Published studies

Bore, P., Nilsson, S., Andersson, M., Oehm, K., Attvall, J., Håkansson, A., & Claesdotter-Knutsson, E. (2024). Effectiveness and acceptability of cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy for gaming disorder: protocol for a nonrandomized intervention study of a novel psychological treatment. JMIR Research Protocols, 13(1), e56315.

Bore, P., Leo, J., Garpenhag, L., & Claesdotter-Knutsson, E. (2025). Adolescents’ experiences of psychological treatment for gaming disorder: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1601851.

Bore, P., Andersson, M., Nilsson, S., Oehm, K., Cervin, M., Hakansson, A., & Claesdotter-Knutsson, E. Who seeks treatment for gaming? Characteristics of youth and adult patients seeking treatment for gaming disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1629932.