Association Among Self-Compassion, Resilience, Positive Mental Health and Risk of Gaming Disorder in 18–30 Year Old Population in China and Thailand: A Cross-Regional Study

Aim: The existing literature typically reports an association between Gaming Disorder (GD) and psychopathological outcomes. However, evidence linking positive psychological attributes with the risk of GD is rarely explored. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between resilience, positive mental health and self-compassion and the risk of GD in young adults. Design: The study was cross-sectional, collecting data online in four cities across China and one city in Thailand. Methods: Potential participants were recruited through social media, gaming platforms and tertiary institutions or universities. The online survey sought information on demography, gaming behaviours, risk of GD, level of self-compassion, resilience and positive mental health. A General Linear Model was used to compute the associations between the study variables. A p value less than 0.05 is regarded as statistically significant. Results: A total of 1750 young adults were recruited. The results showed that self-compassion and positive mental health were negatively associated with GD but that was not the case for resilience. Young adult gamers with lower levels of self-compassion and moderate mental health had a greater risk of gaming addiction as compared to those with a higher level of self-compassion and flourishing mental health. This is the first study to report the association between GD and three positive psychological factors. The preliminary findings suggest that self-compassion and positive mental health could be protective mechanisms against GD. Primary healthcare professionals could include self-compassion and positive mental health in health screening for the early identification of gamers at risk of GD before they manifest psychopathological symptoms. Future studies of GD should explore the effect of positive psychological factors in managing GD in addition to the psychopathological approach. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.