In‐session gaming as a tool in treating adolescent problematic gaming

Bibliographic Data

ID21319988
AuthorsPhilip Nielsen (0000-0001-9227-222X, Unité de psychologie clinique des relations interpersonnelles, FPSE University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland, corresponding author), Henk Rigter (0000-0003-0824-1207, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) Leiden the Netherlands), Niels Weber (0000-0002-1210-7724, Private practice Lausanne Switzerland), Nicolas Favez (0000-0003-1744-7602, Unité de psychologie clinique des relations interpersonnelles, FPSE University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland), Howard A Liddle (0000-0003-2596-8336, Departments of Public Health Sciences and Psychology University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA)
Year2023
Volume62
Issue1
Pages108-123
Publication date2023-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFamily Process (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/famp.12846
PMID36562318
OpenAlexW4312113330
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited19

For some adolescent gamers, playing online games may become problematic, impairing functioning in personal, family, and other life domains. Parental and family factors are known to influence the odds that adolescents may develop problematic gaming (PG), negative parenting and conflictual family dynamics increasing the risk, whereas positive parenting and developmentally supportive family dynamics protecting against PG. This suggests that a treatment for adolescent PG should not only address the gaming behaviors and personal characteristics of the youth, but also the parental and family domains. An established research‐supported treatment meeting these requirements is multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), which we adapted for use as adolescent PG treatment. We report here on one adaptation, applying in‐session gaming. In‐session demonstration of the “problem behavior” is feasible and informative in PG. In the opening stage of therapy, we use in‐session gaming to establish an alliance between the therapist and the youth. By inviting them to play games, the therapist demonstrates that they are taken seriously, thus boosting treatment motivation. Later in treatment, gaming is introduced in family sessions, offering useful opportunities to intervene in family members' perspectives and interactional patterns revealed in vivo as the youth plays the game. These sessions can trigger strong emotions and reactions from the parents and youth and give rise to maladaptive transactions between the family members, thus offering ways to facilitate new discussions and experiences of each other. The insights gained from the game demonstration sessions aid the therapeutic process, more so than mere discussion about gaming

Alliance · Developmental psychology · Odds · Psychotherapist · Session (web analytics) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child Development and Digital Technology · Clinical Psychology · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology

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