Effects of anxiety and depression on Internet gaming disorder in medical students： the moderating role of gender / 四川精神卫生

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of anxiety and depression on Internet gaming disorder in medical students， and to evaluate the moderating effect of gender， so as to provide references for the prevention and intervention of Internet gaming disorder in medical students. MethodsIn November 2021， a total of 11 771 medical students from a medical college in Sichuan province participated in an online survey through Wenjuanxing platform. Participants completed the Self-rating Anxiety Scale （SAS）， Self-rating Depression Scale （SDS） and the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form （IGDS9-SF）. Then a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to discuss the moderating role of gender in the relationships between anxiety， depression and Internet gaming disorder in medical students. Results①Males scored lower on SDS （t=-8.302， P<0.01）， and higher on IGDS9-SF than females （t=33.384， P<0.01）. ②SAS score of medical students was positively correlated with SDS score （r=0.735， P<0.01）， SAS and SDS scores were positively correlated with IGDS9-SF score in medical students （r=0.288， 0.238， P<0.01）. ③Anxiety and depression could positively predict Internet gaming disorder （β=0.245， 0.058， t=18.864， 4.444， P<0.01）. ④Gender played a moderating effect between anxiety and Internet gaming disorder （β=-0.194， t=-4.518， P<0.01）. ConclusionAnxiety and depression have a positive predictive effect on Internet gaming disorder in medical students. Furthermore， the effects of anxiety on Internet gaming disorder are moderated by gender， and the anxiety of male students exhibits a markedly stronger impact on Internet gaming disorder than that of female students.