The study is based on questionnaires that parents of children in middle school have had to answer current symptoms of, among other things, computer game addiction and screen habits.
About a third of the children, about seventy, have an ADHD diagnosis that has been made already in preschool.
Twenty percent showed symptoms of computer game addiction
According to the survey, twenty percent of children with an ADHD diagnosis had clear symptoms of computer game addiction, or so-called "gaming disorder", and another ten percent of them showed so many symptoms that they were at risk of developing computer game addiction.
In the control group with children without an ADHD diagnosis, only about two percent showed the same type of symptoms.
Computer gambling addiction has been a clinical diagnosis according to the WHO since 2019 and means that a person has lost control of their gambling, which can contribute to several negative consequences.
You can, for example, mismanage the school, end up in conflicts with the family and completely hang up your life on computer games.
Serious problems at a young age
- There are quite serious problems with computer game addiction that the children show at such an early age and we think that is a bit alarming, says Lisa Thorell.
The study from Karolinska has not yet been expert-reviewed, but a number of international reports confirm the connections between ADHD and computer game addiction.
Responds more to quick rewards
According to Lisa Thorell, there are many explanations for the connection.
Among other things, children with ADHD react differently than other children to, for example, rewards.
- They are more focused on just fast rewards, which you often get in games, says Lisa Thorell.