Cyberbullying among young Saudi online gamers and its relation to depression

Abstract

Background: There is a worldwide interest that has been dedicated to discovering the impact of online video games on mental health among young gamers and its association with the risk of cyberbullying. Many studies have suggested that cyberbullying is associated with the development of depression. To our knowledge, there are no studies that have been carried out in Saudi Arabia that addressed such a topic. Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of cyberbullying among Saudi online video gamers, and it is associated risk to the development of depression. Methods: Using an anonymous online questionnaire posted on social media, a total of 143 caregivers of young Saudi gamers agreed to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire examined multiple factors including addressing the act of cyberbullying for their association with developing depression. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to evaluate for depression. Results: Out of 143 gamers, 30 reported being cyberbullied as disclosed by their caregivers, half of which showed depressive symptoms. This had a statistical significance of P = 0.00001. Online chatting was associated with an increased risk of being cyberbullied. Conclusion: The trend of cyberbullying among young gamers is alarming. Depression and suicidality are strongly associated with such phenomena. The impact on emotional and behavioral changes among this group of individuals is encouraged to be further addressed and investigated.

Keywords

• cyberbullying
• depression
• online gaming
• saudi arabia
• youth