Binge Gaming and Cognitive, Emotional, and Physical Health Effects in Youth with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and ADHD

Abstract

Games have been evolving at a very fast rate; this has changed the way young people use their free time. The question is, what will be the effects of active gaming on their psyche and health? The paper takes the cognitive, emotional, and physical health consequences of binge gaming among the youth into special consideration of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) groups. The study is a quantitative cross-sectional study that aimed to examine patterns of behaviour and health outcomes associated with long-term gaming. Strategic self-reported questionnaires and records of gaming behavior are used to collect information from undergraduate respondents. These findings suggest that binge gaming is significantly correlated with several dimensions of well-being. A semi-strong correlation is observed between the intensity of gaming and cognitive impairment, including reduced attention span, difficulties with working memory, and impaired decision-making. Emotional and behavioral dysregulation is by far the strongest one to correlate with binge gaming behavior, particularly impulsivity, stress, and mood volatility. The physical health problems, including eye strain, musculoskeletal pain, and sleep disturbances, are also reported among the participants who had a high gaming duration. Besides, the indicators of binge gaming disorder are moderately associated with overall mental health problems. A Radial Basis Function (RBF) network as a predictive model showed varying predictive accuracy across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral variables, with the results for emotional variables being more complex. The paper demonstrates the dualism of gaming behavior: on the one hand, gaming may result in a sequence of mental advantages and serious health dangers in the case of excessive gaming.