The Association between Internet Gaming Disorder and Perceived Stress: The Moderating Effect of Psychological Resilience in Adolescents

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and perceived stress among adolescents, The sample consisted of (N=250, males=118 and female=132) adolescents aged 12-19 who completed self-report measures assessing Internet gaming disorder symptoms, perceived stress levels, and psychological resilience. Convenient sampling techniques were used to recruit samples from 250 participants. Cross sectional comparisons were conducted while using survey research methods. The results indicated a significant positive association between IGD and perceived stress, suggesting that higher levels of IGD were associated with increased perceived stress among adolescents. Adolescents with higher levels of psychological resilience demonstrated a weaker association between IGD and perceived stress, suggesting that resilience may act as a protective factor in mitigating the impact of IGD on stress levels. Findings also revealed that specific genre of games like action and fighting games predicted higher perceived stress and lower psychological resilience among adolescents. Another interesting finding was that higher education levels of adolescents predicted higher stress and lower psychological resilience among adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the interplay between IGD, perceived stress, and psychological resilience highlighting the need for interventions that target both IGD symptoms and resilience-building strategies to promote mental well-being in this population.