Psychological and Pedagogical Counseling Centers in the Early Diagnosis of VR Game Addiction Among Children and Adolescents. A Research Report

Abstract

Available research indicates a growing interest in e-gaming among children and adolescents. This trend is also confirmed by staff at psychological and pedagogical counseling centers. They emphasize that over the past five years, they have observed a significant increase in the number of reports related to excessive use of digital games. It’s worth noting that among children and adolescents affected by e-gaming addiction, there are also those struggling with VR gaming addiction.
The purpose of this article is to examine the issue of behavioral addiction to VR games among children and adolescents and to discuss the forms of support available through psychological and pedagogical counseling centers. The study discusses, among other topics, the definition of VR games, the characteristics of the phenomenon, its educational implications, and the DSM-5 and ICD-11 diagnostic classifications, which are fundamental tools used in the diagnosis of addiction. The article also analyzes the support offered by psychological and pedagogical counseling centers in the initial diagnosis and in obtaining further recommendations leading to a comprehensive clinical diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Despite the growing scale of this phenomenon, the problem of VR game addiction among children and adolescents remains insufficiently addressed in the literature.
In response to the identified knowledge gap, a study was conducted to verify the diagnostic and support capacities of psychological and pedagogical counseling centers in this field. Consequently, data were collected regarding the possibilities of initial diagnosis of children and adolescents with VR gaming addiction, the diagnostic methods and tools applied, as well as the available forms of support and recommendations provided by these counseling centers. The study employed CAWI and CATI techniques and encompassed a total of 340 psychological and pedagogical counseling centers in Poland.