About this screening · Behavioral Addictions · IGDS9-SF
I can’t stop playing online games even though it’s ruining my life.
Gaming is a normal part of many students’ lives. It becomes a problem when it is the one thing you cannot stop even as sleep, study, relationships or health pay for it, and when you keep playing to escape a bad mood rather than for enjoyment.
This screening uses the IGDS9-SF, nine questions about your gaming over the past twelve months, developed to identify gaming that has crossed from a hobby into a behavioral addiction. It takes about two minutes.
Start the screeningAnonymous. No name, no sign-up. A few minutes.
About the IGDS9-SF
The IGDS9-SF assesses internet gaming disorder against the nine DSM-5 criteria, using one item per criterion and asking about the past twelve months.
It covers preoccupation, withdrawal, tolerance, loss of control, giving up other activities, continuing despite problems, deceiving others, escaping negative moods, and the loss of a relationship, job or opportunity.
How it is scored
- Each of the 9 items is scored 1–5, giving a total range of 9–45.
- A total of 32 or above is a positive screen.
Source. Informed by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form (IGDS9-SF).
What the result means
A screening result is not a diagnosis. It tells you whether your answers resemble a pattern that is worth discussing with a professional.
Two people with the same score can be in very different situations, and only a qualified clinician can assess yours.
Where to get help
The Health and Counseling Center at Hamad Bin Khalifa University offers confidential counseling to the HBKU community. You do not need a screening result to get in touch.