Study Estimates 1.3 Million Brazilians at Risk of Video Game Disorder

An unprecedented study published in the scientific journal Addictive Behaviors estimates that approximately 1.3 million Brazilians aged 14 and older are at risk of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This figure represents 0.75% of the population in that age group. The researchers noted that these figures are estimates based on a screening questionnaire rather than clinical diagnoses.

Among Brazilians who played video games in the 30 days prior to the research, 3.4% showed signs of possible IGD. This condition is associated with a loss of control over gaming, the abandonment of other activities, and disruptions to daily routines. To identify those at risk, researchers used the IGDT-10, a ten question survey based on the DSM-5 criteria from the American Psychiatric Association. Participants were considered at risk if they exhibited five or more of the nine evaluated signs.

The study is the first nationally representative survey of its kind in Brazil. It involved 16,608 people across 349 municipalities. Within the digital games module, 4,856 participants responded to questions, and 1,096 of those had played in the previous month. The research was a collaborative effort involving several institutions, including UFRGS, PUCRS, Unifesp, UFPR, SPDM, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, and Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada.

The strongest association found was with symptoms of depression. Players with moderate or severe depressive symptoms showed a 14.3% risk for IGD, compared to 1.1% for those with minimal or mild symptoms. After accounting for factors such as age, sex, income, education, anxiety, and bullying history, those with moderate to severe depression were 8.8 times more likely to be at risk. Dr. Ronaldo Laranjeira, president of SPDM and one of the authors, stated that the link to depression and anxiety reinforces the need to treat problematic gaming as a mental health issue.

Other correlations were also identified. Anxiety was linked to the problem, with risk appearing in 6.1% of players with frequent symptoms versus 0.7% of others. Income levels also showed a disparity: 6.7% of players from households earning up to one minimum wage were in the risk category, while only 0.1% of those with higher incomes were at risk.