Gaming addiction? How meditation may be able to help

Mindfulness meditation is proving to be a game-changer for reducing gaming cravings by reshaping brain connectivity, especially between regions linked to self-regulation and control. A study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging highlights how this technique can help manage addictive behaviours, offering a potential intervention for internet gaming disorder by addressing both psychological symptoms and underlying neural patterns.

Can mindfulness meditation address gaming addiction?
Internet gaming disorder, marked by excessive gaming that disrupts daily life, often leads to mental health issues like depression and social isolation. Traditional treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy have shown limited success, and the brain mechanisms behind the disorder remain unclear.

Previous research has linked the disorder to abnormal brain connectivity in regions responsible for reward processing and self-control. To explore a potential solution, researchers in China studied whether mindfulness meditation could address both the psychological and neural aspects of gaming addiction.

What the study reveals
The study involved 80 participants diagnosed with internet gaming disorder, who were divided into a mindfulness meditation group and a control group practising progressive muscle relaxation. Over four weeks, both groups underwent eight training sessions. The mindfulness group focused on present-moment awareness, while the control group practised body relaxation techniques.

Before and after the sessions, participants were assessed for gaming addiction severity, cravings, and mindfulness levels and underwent fMRI scans to observe changes in brain connectivity. The results showed that mindfulness meditation significantly reduced gaming cravings and addiction severity compared to the control group, with participants showing improvements in mindfulness and brain connectivity.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation increases connectivity in brain regions related to decision-making, impulse control, and reward processing. These changes likely helped participants manage cravings and resist gaming urges. The study also found that mindfulness strengthened the connection between brain areas involved in self-awareness and impulse control, improving participants’ ability to resist gaming-related rewards.

The study suggests that mindfulness meditation can help treat internet gaming disorder by altering brain connectivity and stabilising neurotransmitter systems like dopamine and serotonin, which are involved in reward processing and mood regulation. However, further research is needed to explore the effects in more depth.