Prevalence of internet gaming disorder and its association with loneliness and leisure boredom among Malaysian gamers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been widely studied globally, its prevalence and psychosocial correlates in Malaysia, particularly in relationship to the COVID-19 pandemic, remain underexplored. This study therefore investigated IGD prevalence among Malaysian gamers and its associations with loneliness subtypes (emotional and social) and leisure boredom during the pandemic. A survey of 432 Malaysian gamers (mean age = 21.06 ± 2.90 years; 59.3% male) revealed a 19% prevalence rate of IGD, indicating that nearly one in five participants exhibited problematic gaming behaviors. Notably, the study found that emotional loneliness is a significant risk factor for IGD, while social loneliness and leisure boredom were not significantly associated. Daily gaming exceeding five hours was strongly linked to IGD, underscoring the importance of monitoring gaming duration. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing emotional support systems and time-management strategies to mitigate IGD risks in post-pandemic contexts. The discovery that emotional loneliness, rather than social factors or boredom, is a key driver suggests interventions should focus on fostering deeper emotional connections to reduce reliance on gaming as a coping mechanism.