Association between online gaming addiction and perceived stress: A cross- sectional study among adolescent students

Dwivedi M, Roy SK, Mukherjee M

Pdf Page Numbers :- 297-301

Malvika Dwivedi¹, Sunetra Kaviraj Roy², and Mahul Mukherjee^1,*

¹Department of Community Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

²Department of Community Medicine, Bankura Sammilani Medical College and Hospital Bankura, West Bengal 722102, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. Mahul Mukherjee, Department of Community Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India. Email: mukherjeemahul@gmail.com

Received 17 March 2025; Revised 26 May 2025; Accepted 5 June 2025; Published 13 June 2025

Citation: Dwivedi M, Roy SK, Mukherjee M. Association between online gaming addiction and perceived stress: A cross- sectional study among adolescent students. J Med Sci Res. 2025; 13(3):297-301. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17727/JMSR.2025/13-52

Copyright: © 2025 Dwivedi M et al. Published by KIMS Foundation and Research Center. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Abstract

Background: The rise of online gaming among adolescents has raised significant concerns about its potential psychological impacts, particularly its relationship with stress. This study aimed to assess the association between online gaming addiction and perceived stress levels in adolescents from urban and rural settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 265 adolescents aged from selected urban and rural schools. Participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire comprising demographic details, the Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).

Results: Gaming addiction was present in 12.7% of urban adolescents compared to 2.4% of rural adolescents (p = 0.017). High perceived stress was reported by 74 % urban and 68 % rural adolescents, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.868). However, a strong association was observed between gaming addiction and high perceived stress levels (p = 0.010). Adolescents with screen time >4 hours were significantly more likely to exhibit gaming addiction and elevated stress levels (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: It is concluded that online gaming addiction is significantly associated with high perceived stress among adolescents. Urban adolescents are more affected due to increased screen time and digital access. Early identification, digital wellness education, and stress management strategies are essential to address this emerging behavioural concern.

Keywords: online gaming addiction; perceived stress; adolescents; screen time; urban-rural comparison; behavioural health