Parents warned as research shows link between video games and depression

Parents are urged to be cautious as psychiatrists discover a link between video games and depression.

Psychiatrists studying the effects of video games have issued a warning after finding a link between depression and video game addiction. The specialists performed MRI scans which revealed the potential damage games can cause to young brains. The images showed how signals between the different parts of the brain were disrupted by those playing games causing or worsening pre-existing depression. The study found that the 'emotional' part of the brain, which is responsible for the feelings of depression, was overriding the 'executive' part of the brain which is the part that controls how we deal with addiction. According to The Telegraph, Dr Louise Theodosiou, a leading adolescent psychiatrist with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said it was an important study in linking gaming addiction with a rise in depression among the young.

“If you have something distorting the relationship between the emotional and analytical parts of the brain, it’s potentially damaging and also very compulsive. We are aware of children having Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) from playing games non-stop. There was a case of a young man dying in Asia after 48 hours gaming. If you are living in an online world, there is a risk of a disconnect from your physical self which is particularly dangerous.”

Video games are huge among children. My own son only recently got a Switch console for his birthday and most of his friends play X Box. With many young children having access to games from everything to computers to their parent's phones, how can we prevent them from the negative effects associated with this past time? The study found that those most negatively impacted were young adolescents dealing with trauma, who instead of seeking counselling or medical help, retreat into video games. Most experts recommend limiting screen time to a couple of hours per day and encouraging our children to spend more time outdoors. I find even for myself limiting the amount of time I spend browsing the internet and watching tv makes a huge difference in my mental health. It's not always easy knowing what is the best way to look after your child's mental well being and if you are worried that your child might be experiencing anxiety or depression you can find helpful advice on ReachOut's parenting section.