A Systematic Review of the Co-occurrence of Gaming Disorder and Other Potentially Addictive Behaviors

The playing of videogames has become an everyday occurrence among many adolescents and emerging adults. However, gaming can be problematic and potentially addictive and problematic gamers can experience co-occurring behavioral or substance use-related problems. The aims of the present review were to (i) determine the co-occurrence of potentially addictive behaviors with problematic and disordered gaming, and (ii) elucidate the potential risk factors in the development and maintenance of co-occurrence within disordered gaming. The main findings demonstrated that there are few empirical studies ( N = 20) examining (i) co-occurrence of gaming disorder with other addictive behaviors; (ii) longitudinal risk of disordered gaming with co-occurring addictive behaviors; and (iii) mechanisms of co-occurrence in disordered gaming with co-occurring potentially addictive behaviors. Results suggest that disordered gaming can co-occur with a variety of other addictive behaviors (e.g., alcohol use disorder or addictive use of social media), and that research into the co-occurrence of addictive behaviors and substance use is increasing. Based on this systematic review, findings suggest that gamers engage in a number of potentially addictive behaviors and substance use which can have detrimental effects on health and wellbeing. While a majority of the reviewed studies consider prevalence rates from a range of geographical locations, there are fewer papers which investigate individual and environmental risk factors.