{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T02:24:50Z","timestamp":1785896690710,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Royal College of Psychiatrists","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781481600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":165,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Eur. Psychiatr."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Gaming disorder (GD), i.e., persistent problematic gaming with clinically significant impairment, is a growing concern; however, estimates of GD in representative adolescent samples are limited. This study aimed to examine GD prevalence, incidence, persistence, and risk factors for different epidemiological parameters across 6 years, covering pre- to post-COVID-19 pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n Population-based longitudinal data, including 3358 German adolescents, were collected annually from 2019 to 2024 using online surveys. GD prevalence estimates were assessed by standardized International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)-based self-report questionnaires. Between-wave persistence and incidence of GD, sociodemographic data, gaming time, and stress perception were measured. Risk factors for incidence and persistence of GD were examined using generalized-estimating equation (GEE) models.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n GD prevalence doubled from 2.9% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023 and remained above prepandemic levels in 2024 (3.9%). Males showed higher prevalence estimates compared to females across most waves, and prevalence peaked in 2023 (8%). For females, GD prevalence doubled between 2019 (1.7%) and 2020 (3.4%), peaked in 2022 (6.1%), and declined thereafter. The incidence of GD increased during the pandemic. According to GEE models, male sex, higher perceived stress, and longer gaming times were risk factors for GD incidence; older age and higher education were protective factors. The persistence of GD reached its peak in 2020 (36.2%). Significant risk factors for GD persistence were higher stress perception and longer gaming time.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n Prevalence and incidence rates indicate that GD continues to be a significant concern, and pandemic-related increases affected both males and females. Prevention and intervention programs should target identified risk groups.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1192\/j.eurpsy.2026.12232","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T12:26:47Z","timestamp":1781699207000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Epidemiology of adolescent gaming disorder: A 6-year population-based longitudinal study (2019\u20132024)"],"prefix":"10.1192","volume":"69","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4340-7807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katharina","family":"Busch","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01zgy1s35","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6838-448X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hanna","family":"Wiedemann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01zgy1s35","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2759-1141","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lisa","family":"Klamert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01zgy1s35","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9090-2782","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kerstin","family":"Paschke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01zgy1s35","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"170","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]]},"container-title":["European Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S0924933826122329","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T09:29:52Z","timestamp":1783502992000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S0924933826122329\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"alternative-id":["S0924933826122329"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/j.eurpsy.2026.12232","relation":{},"ISSN":["0924-9338","1778-3585"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0924-9338","type":"print"},{"value":"1778-3585","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"article-number":"e70"}}