[Self-Test] Is My Child Showing Signs of Gaming Addiction?
Take this video game addiction test to see if your child or teen may be showing signs of gaming disorder.
Worried about your child’s gaming habits and behaviors?
Gaming addiction — known as “gaming disorder” and (conceptualized as) “internet gaming disorder” in the ICD-11 and the DSM-5, respectively — affects about 3% of people worldwide.1 Among people with ADHD, that percentage trends higher, according to research.2 3
Like other forms of addiction, gaming addiction can affect functioning in multiple areas of life, from academic performance to friendships to finances. Gaming addiction is treatable; help exists in the form of support groups, talk therapy, and treatment centers dedicated to problematic or disordered screen use.
If you are concerned about your child’s behaviors around gaming, answer the questions below and share the results with a licensed mental health professional.
This self-test was adapted from criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision. It is designed to screen for the possibility of gaming disorder, and it is intended for personal use only. This test is not intended as a diagnostic tool.
Can’t see the self-test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.
Gaming Addiction in Teens: Next Steps
- Free Download: An “Ethics Manual” for Your Teen’s Electronics
- Read: ADHD and Video Games — Is Your Child Hooked?
- Read: My Son’s Story of Electronics Addiction and Recovery
View Article Sources
1 Stevens, M. W., Dorstyn, D., Delfabbro, P. H., & King, D. L. (2021). Global prevalence of gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 55(6), 553–568. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867420962851
2 Berloffa, S., Salvati, A., D’Acunto, G., Fantozzi, P., Inguaggiato, E., Lenzi, F., Milone, A., Muratori, P., Pfanner, C., Ricci, F., Ruglioni, L., Tacchi, A., Tessa, C., Villafranca, A., & Masi, G. (2022). Internet Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9030428
3 Cabelguen, C., Rocher, B., Leboucher, J., Schreck, B., Challet-Bouju, G., Hardouin, J. B., & Grall-Bronnec, M. (2021). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and gaming disorder: Frequency and associated factors in a clinical sample of patients with Gaming Disorder. Journal of behavioral addictions, 10(4), 1061–1067. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00074