Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41817607›Full record

ArticleJournal of behavioral addictions2026

Substance use amongst individuals with internet gaming disorder and gaming disorder: A scoping review.

Magdalena Liberacka-Dwojak, Christophe Tra, Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska, Joëlle Rosselet Amoussou, Marianthi Lousiana Deligianni, Daria Kukuła, Mariya Kuzyan, Jakub Piotrowski, Camilla Sculco, Didier Jutras-Aswad and 1 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Magdalena Liberacka-Dwojak1Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8092-4219
Christophe Tra2Addiction Medicine Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0156-8381
Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska1Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0094-7793
Joëlle Rosselet Amoussou3Medical Library-Cery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Site de Cery, 1008, Prilly, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-5350
Marianthi Lousiana Deligianni4Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7260-4581
Daria Kukuła1Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9933-3929
Mariya Kuzyan1Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4001-6866
Jakub Piotrowski1Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6552-4663
Camilla Sculco5Institute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0735-9360
Didier Jutras-Aswad6Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8474-508X
Yasser Khazaal4Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8549-6599

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Gaming Disorder (GD) have emerged as significant public health concerns, with studies highlighting their association with substance use. Research on IGD/GD faces challenges due to heterogeneous definitions and measurement tools. While the introduction of DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria for these behaviors improved research consistency, substance use patterns in individuals with IGD/GD, when defined strictly by these criteria, remain unexplored. Importantly, a comprehensive review of substance use patterns among individuals with IGD/GD based on DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria has never been conducted. Objective: This scoping review aims to map existing literature on substance use in individuals with IGD/GD, focusing on patterns, underlying mechanisms, and moderating factors influencing this relationship. Methods: The review adhered to the JBI manual for scoping reviews and PRISMA-ScR standards. A literature search was conducted in August 2025, in seven bibliographic databases, supplemented by citation tracking strategies. Inclusion criteria encompassed empirical studies published post-2013, using scales published after 2013, based on DSM-5/ICD-11 criteria for IGD/GD, and focusing on substance use. Results: A total of 36 studies out of 5,561 identified, predominantly cross-sectional, were included. Findings indicated a high co-occurrence of IGD/GD and substance use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Shared risk factors such as impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and maladaptive coping strategies were identified. Alcohol, tobacco, stimulants, and cannabis emerged as the most commonly used substances, with variations across cultural contexts. Limited longitudinal data underscored the need for research on the progression and interaction of IGD/GD and substance use over time. Conclusion: The findings revealed that individuals with IGD/GD frequently engage in substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and stimulants such as amphetamines. This review highlights critical mechanisms linking IGD/GD and substance use, emphasizing the role of behavioral reinforcement and emotional dysregulation. Future research should focus on longitudinal designs and protective factors to inform tailored prevention and intervention strategies. Systematic screening for substance use is warranted among individuals with IGD/GD.

Indexed as

Behavior, AddictiveInternet Addiction DisorderSubstance-Related DisordersVideo GamesComorbidityHumansbehavioral addictioninternet gaming disorderscoping reviewsubstance use

Identifiers

PMID41817607
PMCPMC13132415

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.