Depression and on-line game playing behaviors of high school students in Bangkok Metropolitan Area.

Abstract

Objective : This purpose of this research was to study depression and on-line game playing behaviors of high school students in Bangkok Metropolitan.

Design : A cross – sectional descriptive study.

Setting : High school students in Bangkok Metropolitan.

Materials and Methods : The subjects were high schools students in Bangkok. The data obtained through self-completed questionnaires, Game Addiction Screening Test – GAST: child and adolescent version and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS for Window. The utilized statistical tools consisted of percentage, mean, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA.

Results : There were 711 students recruited in this study. The Game Addiction Screening Test indicator scores indicated that 86.5% of the subjects had no game addicted problem; 9.9% had mild game addicted problem and 3.6% had severe game addicted problem Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale scores indicated that 67.7% of the subject had depression, and 32.2% had depression. The factors related on-line game playing behaviors were gender, academic level, academic grade, close friend and depression.

Conclusion : The majority of high school students had no game addicted problem. However, there are factors related on-line game playing behaviors, which should be further evaluated and followed up, especially the subject that had mild game addiction problem and severe game addiction problem, also depression. The cooperation between the school and parent would reduce depression and on-line game playing behaviors.