Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), recognized as a mental disorder in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), poses significant threats to physical, social, and mental well-being. This study aims to delve into the experiences of individuals grappling with IGD.
Methods and Materials: The study employed an interpretive phenomenology, conducting interviews with 10 graduate students at Makerere University. Participants were purposefully sampled until data saturation was achieved during interviews, which took place between May and July 2023. An interview guide facilitated data collection (Supplementary File 1), and thematic analysis was manually applied for data interpretation, utilizing intuition and imaginative approaches.
Results: The findings revealed that the majority of participants started gaming during childhood, starting with offline games. Exposure to gadgets and games, idle time, and stress emerged as key triggers for IGD. Participants reported experiencing sleep deficits, deteriorating interpersonal relationships, declining job performance, unhealthy eating habits, academic challenges, and wastage of money and time. The study also identified strategies employed by participants to mitigate their gaming behaviors, such as refraining from purchasing data, seeking support from friends, and uninstalling the game app, although relapses were common.
Conclusion: The study highlights a global pattern of early initiation into gaming, emphasizing the need for early intervention and preventive measures. Factors such as easy accessibility and affordability of gaming platforms, idleness, and stress play significant roles in motivating internet gaming, contributing to a higher prevalence among the studied population. The research underscores the adverse effects of IGD on students, affecting academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and job performance. Notably, participants demonstrate agency in addressing IGD through practical coping strategies, including controlling data access, seeking social support, and uninstalling games. These coping mechanisms provide valuable insights into the complex nature of addressing IGD and form a basis for developing targeted interventions and support systems within the higher education setting in Uganda.



中文翻译：

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网络游戏障碍背景下个人的生活经历和应对策略：乌干达高等教育环境下的定性研究

背景：网络游戏障碍 (IGD) 在《诊断和统计手册》(DSM-5) 和《国际疾病分类》(ICD-11) 中被视为一种精神障碍，对身体、社会和心理健康构成重大威胁。本研究旨在深入研究与 IGD 作斗争的个人的经历。
方法和材料：该研究采用解释现象学，对麦克雷雷大学的 10 名研究生进行了访谈。在 2023 年 5 月至 7 月期间进行的访谈期间，有目的地对参与者进行抽样，直到达到数据饱和。访谈指南促进了数据收集（补充文件 1），并利用直觉和富有想象力的方法手动应用主题分析来解释数据。
结果：调查结果显示，大多数参与者在童年时期就开始玩游戏，从线下游戏开始。接触小工具和游戏、空闲时间和压力成为 IGD 的关键触发因素。参与者报告称，他们经历了睡眠不足、人际关系恶化、工作绩效下降、不健康的饮食习惯、学业挑战以及金钱和时间的浪费。该研究还确定了参与者用来缓解游戏行为的策略，例如避免购买数据、寻求朋友的支持以及卸载游戏应用程序，尽管旧瘾很常见。
结论：该研究强调了早期开始玩游戏的全球模式，强调了早期干预和预防措施的必要性。游戏平台的便捷性和可承受性、闲置和压力等因素在推动网络游戏方面发挥着重要作用，导致研究人群中的流行率更高。该研究强调了 IGD 对学生的不利影响，影响学业成绩、人际关系和工作表现。值得注意的是，参与者通过实际的应对策略展示了解决 IGD 问题的能力，包括控制数据访问、寻求社会支持和卸载游戏。这些应对机制为解决 IGD 的复杂性提供了宝贵的见解，并为乌干达高等教育环境中制定有针对性的干预措施和支持系统奠定了基础。