The game is the main cause of behavioral addiction treatments (those that do not imply substance consumption). In 2022, there were 4,670 admissions to treatment for behavior addictions and the vast majority were due to game problems. This follows from the report on behavioral addictions and other addictive disorders of the National Drug Plan presented on Monday by the Ministry of Health.
According to the aforementioned report, 82 percent of admissions to treatment in 2022 were by addiction to the game, followed, with much difference, due to disorders related to the compulsive use of the Internet, mobiles or electronic devices (9.3%). Behind, purchase addiction (3.4 percent) and sex related (2.9%). These figures are higher than those of 2021, when 4,052 admissions to treatment were counted, although according to the Secretary of State of Health, Javier Padilla, and the Government Delegate for the National Drug Plan, Joan Ramon Villalbí, do not believe that to a real increase, but since it is a new indicator, the cases were “subnotified.”
By sex, admissions for game addiction in men account for 85.6 percent while in women it is 58.8 percent. Also those that have to do with sex or the use of video games are superior in men. On the contrary, it is women who monopolize the indices of purchase -related addictions or the use of the Internet, mobiles, electronic devices or social networks, as well as eating disorders. The average age of those admitted to treatment is 37.1 years.
The report finds that half of the population, specifically 53.8 percent, participated in gambling in 2024, although the figure descends compared to previous years. These games include from lottery to casinos or bingos, as well as others online. The greatest prevalence is still in the face -to -face, whose practice is much more common than online. However, the latter attracts mostly the younger population, descending their prevalence as age increases. In fact, according to the study survey, conducted to the population between 14 and 18 years, in this section of age the prevalence of the play online in the last year has reached the maximum since the beginning of the series (9.4% in 2021 compared to 10.7% in 2023).
Protect the youngest
«We can see a decrease of ten points around the general population that declares having played in the last year. This is a rather positive fact, ”said Padilla, which has focused precisely on young people between 14 and 18 years. “In this regard, we do see a slight increase in the number of people between 14 and 18 years old who have played in the last year,” he said and advised to “protect the younger populations from those areas in which yes that yes that yes that They have a certain prominence in consumption ». In this sense, the number two of health has also referred to “emerging addictions” such as cryptocurrencies or ‘trading.
In general, Padilla and Villalbí have highlighted during the presentation of the report, addiction rates remain stable in Spain. In fact, the prevalence of possible problematic game is 1.4%, which represents a decrease compared to previous years and a 46% decrease compared to the 2018 data. Among students from 14 to 18 years this percentage It rises to 4 percent.
More among women
The problematic use figures of the Internet are also stable since 2020, which generally affects women already women. The highest percentage of this addiction occurs among the youngest, where there is a greater affectation among the girls. Even so, the impact of this addiction is reduced 3 points among the youngest compared to previous years, so that it is 20.5 percent.
The report also measures the impact of pornography. 63.8% of the population acknowledges having consumed this type of content in life, 29,% in the last year and 18.2% in the last month. In the population between 14 and 18, these figures are higher: those who admit having consumed pornography once in life are 66.8 percent; 58.6% in the last 12 months and 44.5% in the last month. Consumption is much higher in men than in women.
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