Depression–Anxiety Relationships with Internet Gaming Disorder among Health Sciences Students

Background This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of Internet gaming disorder among health science students in southern Saudi Arabia and to explore its relationship with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Methods Data were collected from 362 Health Sciences Students from Najran University at Southern Saudi Arabia (M age = 21.6 years, SD age = 3.42 years). The sample completed an online survey that included the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, the CES-D Depression Model, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Results The results indicated that 22.6% of health sciences students exhibited signs of Internet gaming disorder. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the severity of Internet gaming disorder, levels of depression and anxiety. Both anxiety and depression symptoms explained 48% of the variation in Internet gaming disorder scores. Bivariate redundant analyses indicated that individuals who played online games for six or more hours each day were more likely to exhibit signs of severe depression and anxiety, had a relatively higher severity of Internet gaming disorder and males were more likely to have Internet gaming disorder compared to females. Furthermore, students with Internet gaming disorder had low academic achievement. Conclusion Future studies should validate these findings through more comprehensive research. However, this exploratory study provides valuable insights into potential strategies and programs for preventing Internet gaming disorder among Health Sciences students in Southern Saudi Arabia.