Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder
Aim: This study aimed to understand the mediating and moderating effects of self-esteem’s relationship with gaming disorder (GD). Methods: Participants (N = 1,712) were recruited from online gaming forums. A battery of measures including GD, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, escapism, and playing ti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Open Exploration Publishing Inc.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Exploration of Digital Health Technologies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101146/101146.pdf |
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| author | Michael Kavanagh |
| author_facet | Michael Kavanagh |
| author_sort | Michael Kavanagh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim: This study aimed to understand the mediating and moderating effects of self-esteem’s relationship with gaming disorder (GD). Methods: Participants (N = 1,712) were recruited from online gaming forums. A battery of measures including GD, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, escapism, and playing time were completed. Results: Escapism, depression, and playing time have a significant mediating effect on self-esteem’s relationship with GD. Escapism and depression explained most of the mediated effect, with playing time showing a much smaller effect. Anxiety was not a significant mediator. Unexpectedly, high self-esteem does not appear to buffer against the effects escapism and playing time have on GD. This contradicts clinical literature that promotes high self-esteem as a resilience factor. Conclusions: Mediating effects of self-esteem’s relationship with GD were identified in this study. Moderators other than self-esteem might be more prudent to investigate in GD research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-beb1a4027b4e413ba9d75835e3584699 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2996-9409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Open Exploration Publishing Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploration of Digital Health Technologies |
| spelling | doaj-art-beb1a4027b4e413ba9d75835e35846992025-08-20T02:03:20ZengOpen Exploration Publishing Inc.Exploration of Digital Health Technologies2996-94092025-04-0135536810.37349/edht.2025.101146Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorderMichael Kavanagh0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7933-5908Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UKAim: This study aimed to understand the mediating and moderating effects of self-esteem’s relationship with gaming disorder (GD). Methods: Participants (N = 1,712) were recruited from online gaming forums. A battery of measures including GD, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, escapism, and playing time were completed. Results: Escapism, depression, and playing time have a significant mediating effect on self-esteem’s relationship with GD. Escapism and depression explained most of the mediated effect, with playing time showing a much smaller effect. Anxiety was not a significant mediator. Unexpectedly, high self-esteem does not appear to buffer against the effects escapism and playing time have on GD. This contradicts clinical literature that promotes high self-esteem as a resilience factor. Conclusions: Mediating effects of self-esteem’s relationship with GD were identified in this study. Moderators other than self-esteem might be more prudent to investigate in GD research.https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101146/101146.pdfgaming disorderself-esteemmediationmoderation |
| spellingShingle | Michael Kavanagh Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder Exploration of Digital Health Technologies gaming disorder self-esteem mediation moderation |
| title | Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder |
| title_full | Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder |
| title_fullStr | Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder |
| title_short | Mediators and moderators of self-esteem’s risk to gaming disorder |
| title_sort | mediators and moderators of self esteem s risk to gaming disorder |
| topic | gaming disorder self-esteem mediation moderation |
| url | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101146/101146.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelkavanagh mediatorsandmoderatorsofselfesteemsrisktogamingdisorder |