Perceived parental rejection and gaming disorder among adolescents: the mediating role of subjective stress and depressive symptoms

Previous research suggests that both stress and depression, as well as parental rejection, are important factors in the development of gaming disorder (GD), but no studies so far have proposed a pathway leading from parental rejection via depression and stress to GD. The study aimed to examine the relationship between GD and perceived parental rejection, stress, and depressive symptoms, and to test the moderating effects of sex on these relationships. Data were collected among 1239 adolescents, with an average age of M = 16.77 (SD = .70), 50.3% of whom were females. 1.9% of adolescents met the criteria for GD (2.4% of boys and 1.4% of girls). Higher perceived parental rejection and higher levels of stress and depression were related to more GD symptoms, among male and female adolescents alike. Perceived parental rejection had no direct effect on GD. Only the indirect effects of parental rejection via depression on GD were significant. Research suggests that adolescents who report higher levels of parental rejection are more susceptible to depression and more likely to use gaming as a coping mechanism.