New research from Canada’s McGill University, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, suggests a potential link between extensive video gaming and computer usage in adolescents and the occurrence of psychotic experiences. The study followed a group of 1,226 participants, born in 1997 and 1998, monitoring their computer and game usage as well as psychological experiences.
“Trajectories of higher video gaming and increasing-then-decreasing (‘curved’) computer use during adolescence were associated with higher levels of psychotic experiences at age 23 years,” the researchers wrote. Such experiences ranged from minor suspicion and strange beliefs to serious delusions and hallucinations.
Researchers found that increased video game use during adolescence was associated with between 3 and 7 percent more psychotic experiences.
However, researchers have noted that this association may potentially be attributed to factors commonly associated with extensive video gaming such as economic struggles, mental health concerns, and social difficulties. These factors may indirectly encourage excessive video gaming as they can hinder involvement in other activities.
“It is notable that higher video gaming was associated with many indicators of adversity, including household income insufficiency, as well as mental health and interpersonal difficulties at age 12 years,” the researchers noted.