Assessing ICD-11 Gaming Disorder in Adolescent Gamers: Development and Validation of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A)

Background: Adolescents affected by Gaming Disorder (GD) show substantial impairments in daily functioning. GD was included in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a new diagnosis coming into effect in January 2022. An instrument to screen for GD in adolescents has not yet been published and is urgently needed for scientific research and clinical practice. Methods: In the present study, the ICD-11-based Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A) was developed by clinical experts and scientists. It was validated with 819 frequent gamers of 10 to 17 years and a respective caregiver in an online survey. Criterion validity was examined by assessing gaming behavior, emotional dysregulation, and academic performance. Item structure was investigated by factorial analyses. ROC- and Latent Profile Analyses were computed for differentiation between GD and Non-GD. Results: In line with the ICD-11 approach and accounting for cognitive-behavioral symptoms and negative consequences equally, GADIS-A items were best described by two factors. The new instrument showed excellent internal consistency, good criterion validity, and excellent discriminatory power. Conclusions: GADIS-A is the first successfully validated questionnaire to assess ICD-11 GD in adolescents. Thus, it can significantly contribute to reliably identify affected adolescents in clinical and research settings.