The paper titled “Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF): Systematic Review” is a review of previous research on the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS), specifically the short-form version (IGDS9-SF). The IGDS9-SF is a tool used to measure Internet gaming disorder (IGD), which is defined as “a persistent and recurrent use of the Internet to engage in games, often with other players, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress” (p. 1).

The review aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF, including its reliability, validity, and ability to detect change over time. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature, searching for studies that used the IGDS9-SF and reported on its psychometric properties. A total of 21 studies were included in the review, which included a total of 8,405 participants.

The results of the review indicated that the IGDS9-SF has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. It also demonstrated good convergent validity, meaning it is correlated with other measures of IGD. However, the review found mixed results for the IGDS9-SF’s discriminant validity, which refers to its ability to differentiate between individuals with and without IGD. Additionally, the IGDS9-SF demonstrated good sensitivity to change, meaning it was able to detect changes in IGD over time.

The study found that a majority of the studies used had excellent methodological quality and showed promising statistical findings. Studies utilized in this analysis were found to be reliable in the analysis of internet gaming disorder. All studies had a good internal consistency, meaning the studies compared to one another were measuring the same intended topics. 

Overall, the review found that the IGDS9-SF is a reliable and valid measure of IGD, but more research is needed to fully understand its psychometric properties. The authors recommend that future research should focus on the IGDS9-SF’s discriminant validity and its ability to detect changes in IGD over time.

Some clinician takeaways from this study on the psychometric properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) are:

• The IGDS9-SF is a reliable and valid measure of Internet gaming disorder (IGD).
• The IGDS9-SF demonstrates good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity.
• The IGDS9-SF has good sensitivity to change, meaning it is able to detect changes in IGD over time.
• More research is needed to fully understand the IGDS9-SF’s discriminant validity, or its ability to differentiate between individuals with and without IGD.
• The IGDS9-SF can be a useful tool for clinicians in assessing and treating IGD

The IGDS9-SF was found to have a correlation with some criterions from the DSM-5. For example, IGDS9-SF scores were positively correlated with hours spent on online activities. This implies that individuals who spend an allotment of time online are associated with severe IGD. In addition, individuals suffering from IGD may have a higher risk factor of mental distress such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Authors hypothesized that they can be due to excessive use of the internet leading to social withdrawal. Results also affirm IGD in relations to online gaming through its low correlation with social media use and online gambling. Authors found that IGDS9-SF is more closely associated with online games as compared to mobile phone use or online gambling.

These findings point to the use of IGDS9-SF as a valuable tool in assessing an individual’s pathology towards online gaming. 

Source:

Poon L, Tsang H, Chan T, Man S, Ng L, Wong Y, Lin C, Chien C, Griffiths M, Pontes H, Pakpour A
Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF): Systematic Review
J Med Internet Res 2021;23(10):e26821
URL: https://www.jmir.org/2021/10/e26821
DOI: 10.2196/26821

https://www.jmir.org/2021/10/e26821

Summarized by: Joann Ly

EHPI