Chinese adaptation of the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test and prevalence estimate of Internet gaming disorder among adolescents in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an increasingly important topic and has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) research criteria. This study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), a self-reported questionnaire based on DSM-5 IGD criteria, and to estimate the prevalence of IGD in adolescents. METHODS: The IGDT-10 was translated to Chinese as a 10-item questionnaire rated on a 3-point Likert scale to evaluate the symptoms of IGD. Overall, 8,110 students from grade four to senior high who played Internet games were administered the questionnaire. In addition, 76 senior high-school students were interviewed using DSM-5 criteria to determine the optimal cut-off point that ensures adequate sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. The cut-off point was determined using the Youden’s index and optimal diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the IGDT-10 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .85) and adequate diagnostic efficiency (area under the curve = 0.810). Through interviews, the optimal cut-off point was determined to be five out of the nine criteria (Youden’s index: 42.1%, diagnostic accuracy: 86.8%, sensitivity: 43.8%, and specificity: 98.3%). In this study, the prevalence of IGD among adolescent gamers was 3.1%. CONCLUSION: Findings evidence the validity and diagnostic accuracy of the IGDT-10 in the assessment of IGD.