We often talk about the danger of game addiction in adults, but this problem is also very present in adolescents. Recently, studies have shown that adolescents are also strongly affected by Addiction to online games. It would even be two to four times more frequent than in adults. 4 to 8 % of adolescents would be affected, especially in the most disadvantaged social classes. According to several specialist psychologists, adolescence is a period corresponding to a period of vulnerability. Young people are enormously confronted with the advertising and marketing of online sites and are therefore much more sensitive.
"The path of the pathological player teenager begins early around 10-12 years old, most often with a gain phase, with a very rapid passage of the status of occasional player to that of problematic then dependent player, this all the more that the age of discovery of gambling is early. The most found games in adolescents are sports betting, Casino games (poker, black jack, slot machines) online with the parents' credit card, as well as scratch games With which the player teenager begins his journey, "note the psychiatrists addictologists Aymeric Petit and Michel Lejoyeux (Bichat Hospital, Paris) and Laurent Karila (Paul-Brousse Hospital, Villejuif), authors of the study.
How to prevent such drifts? "It is important, faced with the emergence of pathological game in adolescents, to consider prevention in parallel with early tracking," said Dr. Karila. The main signs are often a drop in academic results, loss of concentration and sleep can also be observed.
Responsible depression of addictions
Adolescents often addicted to games of money bear witness to an anxio-depressive syndrome since depression can precede the occurrence of the pathological game.
Likewise, anxiety can be primary or secondary to addiction. "The pathological game in adolescents is also closely associated with dependencies with psychoactive substances, in particular alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and cocaine," said the study.
Cognitive and behavioral management is not focused solely on the young patient but also concerns the family to which the therapist must explain that "the pathological game is a disease and not a weakness, a vice or a lack of will". Finally, it is of course advised for the teenager to avoid frequenting places at risk (bar-tabac) and convincing him to agree to change the phone number and e-mail address to avoid solicitations of His playing relationships. Finally, relaxation sessions, as well as speech or mutual aid groups, can be offered to the young player. The Online casinos provide for this type of players possibilities to set game limits so as not to finish Online casino prohibition !
