Exploring the Association Between Video Games and Psychological Health

Video games are one of the most popular hobbies for adults in the United States, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. Similarly, mental health concerns have grown significantly due to necessary social distancing and myriad hardships caused by the pandemic. Video games have been demonstrated to have positive effects on players’ mood, motivation, and cognition. However, negative effects on players due to excessive amounts of or reliance on gaming have also been posited. This research aims to draw and further clarify connections between video games and the psychological health of those who play them to gain deeper insight into both. The following two research questions are used to focus the study: (1) Is there a correlation between time spent playing video games and psychological well-being? (2) Is there a correlation between preferences in game genres and players’ psychological health? The objective of the research is to explore such associations via a cross-sectional, correlational study. Data collection is currently in progress. An online survey regarding players’ gaming habits, preferences, and psychological health (measured via the BRIEF Cope Scale and Symptom Checklist K-9) is being administered to participants. Responses (currently n = 82) will be selected for analysis using simple random sampling. Bivariate analysis of the relationships between pertinent variables will be conducted and descriptive statistics will be calculated (mean hours games are played daily/weekly in the sample, mean scores of the psychological assessments). This study will shed light on an under-researched area for assessment and intervention utilizing the person-in-environment perspective in mental health practice.

American adults play video games. This statement is a matter of fact that is supported by data indicating that American adults play an average of almost 8 hours of video games a week, but for a number of years, there seemed to be a general impression that video games are something made for and primarily consumed by children. In actuality, 66 percent of Americans-more than 215 million people – say they play video games regularly, and 76 percent of these people are over the age of 18. Furthermore, the amount of time Americans spent playing games grew significantly during the pandemic, as they offered stress relief, escapism, and opportunities to connect with others during a time of necessary social distancing. The COVID-19 pandemic, similarly, significantly affected Americans’ mental health, particularly with respect to rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Therefore, as a team of researchers, we began thinking about the intersection between video games and mental health. Video games are an increasingly common fixture in American adult life, and mental health issues are also increasingly common, so we set out to explore and understand potential connections between the two so as to gain deeper insight into both video games and Americans’ psychological health.

After reviewing literature on the topic, we noted two major areas that called for further research and clarification, thus leading to our two questions of focus. Firstly, is there a correlation between the amount of time an individual spends playing video games and their psychological well-being? Secondly, is there a correlation between preferences in game genres and players’ psychological health? To answer these questions, data is currently being collected and participants have been providing data through an online survey created by the researchers via Qualtrics. Links to the online survey were posted on Reddit, a social news and discussion website, and distributed on Discord, an instant messaging social platform popular in many gaming communities. Posting locations ranged in focus on video games in order to ensure that gamers of diverse levels of dedication are included and exclusion criteria was limited to being under the age of 18.

In the survey, participants indicate their average daily and weekly gameplay time, most often played game genres, and complete two standardized psychological assessments, the Symptom Checklist-K-9 and the Brief COPE scale. Current participants are between 18 and 71 years old (the mean age is 26.88 years), 48 percent male, 47 percent female, and three percent non-binary or another gender. 38 percent of respondents in the sample identify as White (non-Hispanic/Latino), followed by 20 percent identifying as Hispanic/Latino, 17 percent as Black or African American, 14 percent as Asian, and 11 percent as mixed or another race. There is more racial diversity amongst our participants than tends to be seen in comparable studies, many of which were performed in Europe.

Current participants report playing video games an average of 15.92 hours a week. Bivariate analysis of the relationship between average gameplay time and psychological health will constitute a correlation test to calculate the correlation coefficient once all data is collected. Bivariate analysis of the relationship between preferred game genre and psychological well-being will constitute a t-test and the online application SPSS will be utilized to conduct these statistical tests to determine to what extent the variables are associated. Our sample reports playing video games even more often than many national statistics, highlighting the presence of games in the environments of American adults. Thus, this study will shed light on an under-researched area for assessment and intervention utilizing the person-in-environment perspective in mental health practice. We also hope the research will provide further clarification on whether there is a particular amount of hours or point at which gaming is significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes.