The Association Between Online Gaming Addiction and Depression, Social Anxiety, and Loneliness Among Thai Young Adults

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between online gaming addiction, depression, social anxiety, and, loneliness, as well as the predictive roles of these psychological factors in online gaming addiction among Thai young adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed to collect data from 325 Thai citizens aged 18 to 40 years using a convenience sampling method. Online questionnaires included: demographic data, online gaming behavior data, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Brief Form of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI-B) – Adult Version, and 6-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (RULS-6) were employed. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess both the correlations and the predictive power of the variables. Results: Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between online gaming addiction and depression (r = 0.575, p < 0.001), social anxiety (r = 0.519, p < 0.001), and loneliness (r = 0.377, p < 0.001). Further regression analyses demonstrated that depression (β = 0.416, p < 0.001) and social anxiety (β = 0.228, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of online gaming addiction, whereas loneliness was not. Conclusion: Individuals with mental health challenges such as depression and social anxiety face a higher risk of online gaming addiction. Clinicians should systematically screen for these conditions and implement targeted, evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotional regulation training, and social skills development, to effectively mitigate problematic gaming behaviors and enhance psychological well-being among the young adult population in Thailand.