title: Video gaming and gaming addiction in transgender people: An exploratory study.
abstract: Background There is anecdotal clinical evidence that transgender people use the online world - such as forums and online video gaming - for the purpose of experiencing their gender identity in a safe, non-threatening, non-alienating, non-stigmatizing, and non-critical environment. Aims To describe gaming behavior, degree of problematic gaming behavior and associated factors with problematic gaming in a comparatively large group of transgender people accessing transgender health services. Methods Every individual referred to a national transgender health service in the United Kingdom during a 12-month period was invited to complete a series of questionnaires to measure gaming behavior, interpersonal functioning, severity of autistic features, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results A total of 245 people agreed to participate in the study with 154 (62.9%) describing themselves as current gamers. Gaming behavior in the transgender population attending transgender health services was prevalent, but less than 1% of them presented with clinical scores for Internet Gaming Disorder, with no differences according to gender. Problematic gaming behavior was associated with general interpersonal problems, depression, and young age. Discussion and conclusions Transgender people who engage in problematic gaming behavior are younger, and present with high interpersonal problems, and depression, which can affect a successful transition. In view of the high levels of gaming activity in this population games that are designed to address these psychological problems may be well received by transgender people.
authors.affiliation: 1 Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health , Nottingham, UK.|2 Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arcelus
authors.affiliation: 1 Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health , Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Walter Pierre
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Bouman
authors.affiliation: 1 Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health , Nottingham, UK.|3 School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Loughborough University , Loughborough, UK.
authors.forename: Bethany Alice
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: 1 Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health , Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL , Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Murcia
authors.affiliation: 5 International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University , Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D066107:Social Skills; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: addiction; anxiety; depression; gaming; interpersonal; transgender