T104. PSYCHOTIC-LIKE EXPERIENCES AND PROBLEMATIC GAMING BEHAVIOR IN ONLINE GAME FORUMS

Psychotic-like experiences (PLE) are reported in the general population, characterizing a non-clinical psychosis phenotype. Although those who report PLE have a higher probability of transitioning to psychosis, PLE are usually a transitory state, and most individuals will not transition to psychosis. However, PLE samples may experience symptoms such as social withdrawal, social anxiety, or social anhedonia. These symptoms may lead individuals with PLE to choose online gaming as a preferred means of social interaction.

This study aims to examine the relation between PLE and problematic online gaming.

An online questionnaire was posted in online game forums, on online fan-pages with German-speaking domains and in social media groups. Data from adolescents and young adults (14 to 30 years old; 55.4% males) from Austria and Germany (N=280) was analyzed. Measures: PLE were assessed with the Early Recognition Inventory based on the Interview for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia (ERIraos); problematic gaming behavior was assessed with the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) adapted for online gaming; social anxiety was assessed with the Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN); preference for online social interactions was assessed with the Preference for Online Social Interaction scale (POSI). Analyses: Problematic gaming behavior was divided into two groups based on the suggested cut-off point of ≥18 on the CIUS (i.e., ≥18 gaming disorder vs. ˂18 no gaming disorder). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed and adjusted for sex, age, gaming hours, POSI, and social anxiety.

A total of 63 individuals reached the cutoff for a gaming disorder, while 217 did not reach the cutoff. The majority of subjects in the gaming disorder group were males, young adults (19–24 years old, M=23.1, SD=3.7), single, or had less than high school diploma. Individuals who experienced an increased amount of PLE had a higher probability of reaching the cut-off for a gaming disorder (AOR=1.35 [95% CI 1.19–1.53]). Males were three times as likely as females to have a gaming disorder.

Results implicate a close relation between the phenomena of PLE and continued problematic gaming behavior.