Ottawa-Carleton, ON

Screening Tool: Video Game Addiction

This survey is designed to provide a quick assessment of whether you or a loved one might have problems with video game addiction. However, no test is 100% accurate. No matter what your score is, you should seek help from a health professional if you have any concerns about yourself or your loved ones.

 

Special thanks to Dr. Doug Gentile for permission to use his screening tool. 

1. During the past year, have you become more preoccupied with playing video games, studying video game playing, or planning the next opportunity to play?
2. In the past year, do you need to spend more and more time and/or money on video games in order to achieve the desired excitement?
3. In the past year, have you sometimes tried to limit your own playing?
4. If you answered YES to the above question, are you successful in limiting yourself?
5. In the past year, have you become restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop playing video games?
6. In the past year, have you played video games as a way of escaping from problems or bad feelings?
7. In the past year, have you ever lied to family or friends about how much you play video games?
8. In the past year, have you ever committed illegal/unsocial acts such as theft from family, friends, or elsewhere in order to get video games?
9. In the past year, have you ever neglected household chores to spend more time playing video games?
10. In the past year, have you spent too much time playing video games, to the point that it has affected your schoolwork or tests? Or your work? (e.g. postponing things, not meeting deadlines, being too tired to function well, etc.)
11. In the past year, have you ever needed friends or family to help you financially because you spent too much money on video game equipment, software, or game/Internet fees?
Each 'yes' as counted as 1 point; each 'no' as 0; 'sometimes' as 0.5 (with the exception of item 3, where you get a 1 only if you try to limit, but are not successful).  
 
A score over 5 suggests problems with a gaming addiction (aka pathological gaming). 
 
Note that because no screening tool is 100% accurate, having a ‘negative’ result on the screening tool completely mean that there isn’t a concern either. If there are any concerns, speak to a health professional.
More about this survey