Prevalence, Severity, and Neuropsychiatric Correlates of Internet Gaming Disorder Among Saudi University Student Gamers: An Epidemiological Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

Despite the WHO's recognition of Gaming Disorder in the ICD-11, epidemiological data on its prevalence and neuropsychiatric correlates among Saudi Arabian university students remain limited. Such data are critical for calibrating campus mental health resources and developing evidence-based screening protocols. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in a sample of Saudi university student gamers and evaluate the clinical utility of impulsivity and resilience as case-detection tools.

Methods

In a cross-sectional survey of students who engaged in electronic gaming for at least one hour per week (N = 207; 58.9% male), participants completed the IGDS9-SF, CD-RISC-10, and S-UPPS-P scales. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves to identify predictors and compare the discriminative validity of the constructs.

Results

Among these student gamers, the overall IGD prevalence was 18.4%, with significantly higher rates in males (24.6%) than females (9.4%; χ2(1) = 7.71, p = 0.006). Significant predictors of IGD included sex, daily gaming hours, higher impulsivity, and lower resilience. ROC analysis revealed that a composite impulsivity-resilience index (AUC = 0.80) outperformed single-construct screening using only impulsivity (AUC = 0.71) or resilience (AUC = 0.68). Cases exhibited markedly higher impulsivity and lower resilience than non-cases.

Conclusions

Among Saudi university student gamers, IGD prevalence is clinically significant, particularly among heavier and male gamers. A composite impulsivity-resilience screening index showed superior detection accuracy in this sample and warrants further validation for integration into university mental health assessment protocols.