Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | How addicted to Internet Gaming are children attending CAMHS? Perceptions of parents and children. |
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| Contribution code | D3.006 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Aims: A 2010 pan-European study explored school children and adolescents’ internet use (EU Kids Online II). Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has become a new challenge for children and parents. This study compares the perceptions of IGD of parents and their children attending a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Methods: Following ethical approval and consent, parents and young patients attending South Dublin CAMHS services in December 2018 each filled a study-specific questionnaire. Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) data was extracted and analysed with SPSS 24.0. Results and Conclusions: Most of the 61 children were girls (59%), average age 14.1 years, and had a mobile phone (89%). Analysis of the matching parents-children answers showed that parents believed that 13% of their children were addicted to internet gaming, while only 7% of the children believed they were. Addiction was denied by 80% of parent-children pairs. 13% of parents thought their children were addicted, although contradicted by their children. Interestingly 7% of children believed they were addicted but not their parents. The average IGDS9_SF score was 23.4 (range 9-45), similar for parents and children. Boys had a higher score than girls (24.4 vs 22.7). Parents perceived their primary school children less addicted than their secondary school ones (22.0 vs 24.1), although children believed the opposite (24.3 vs 23). Analysing IGDS9_SF scores indicated that parents and children attending CAMHS might perceive internet gaming addiction differently. More studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. |