The role of culture and stigma in understanding when gaming disorder symptoms lead to help-seeking intentions

Abstract

Background: Engagement in video games continues to grow globally. However, gaming can be addictive, with the World Health Organization introducing gaming disorder (GD) as a new diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases. GD can lead to negative consequences, yet the current rates of help-seeking remain quite low. This two-study dissertation examined factors that influence help-seeking intentions for GD symptom severity, specifically focusing on sociocultural factors (e.g., self-stigma, culture). Method: In Study 1, I interviewed 32 Canadian frequent gamers of either East Asian or European cultural origin in a qualitative study that explored the impact of culture and self-stigma on help-seeking intentions through individual semi-structured interviews, coded using content analysis. In Study 2, I aimed to extend the findings from Study 1 with a large, representative sample of Canadian frequent gamers (N = 930). Gamers of either East Asian (n = 195) or European (n = 735) heritage completed questionnaires regarding demographics and culture, self-stigma, GD symptom severity, and help-seeking intentions. Parallel process moderation analyses were conducted with GD symptom severity (predictor), intentions to seek help (outcome), and culture of origin and self-stigma (moderators), after controlling for gender and level of education. Results: Study 1 highlighted the impact of self-stigma and unique culture-specific factors to seeking help for GD for East Asian gamers, including less modelling of help-seeking, a lack of discussions around mental health and emotions, and collective shaming. Study 2 showed discrepant findings, where greater GD symptom severity was significantly associated with a lower intention to seek help from both professional and informal sources. Contrary to hypothesis, increased GD risk predicted a reduced intention to seek help in individuals with low self-stigma for both forms of support, whereas higher GD risk resulted in a greater intention to seek help among those with high self-stigma. Culture did not significantly moderate the association between GD risk and intention to seek help. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that self-stigma contributes to the association between GD symptom severity and the intention to seek help from both professional and informal sources. Culture plays a role in help-seeking, but this relationship presented mixed findings.