Validation of Two Gaming Disorders Assessment Tools for Indian Young Adults: Psychometric Evaluation of the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT) and Gaming Disorder Scale for Young Adults (GADIS-YA)

Abstract

The rise of gaming as a dominant form of entertainment has raised global concerns over problematic use, prompting the need for culturally adapted assessment tools. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT) and the Gaming Disorder Scale for Young Adults (GADIS-YA) among Indian university students. A total of 454 participants completed the GDT, GADIS-YA, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). We assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The GDT and GADIS-YA demonstrated good internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients at 0.88 and 0.93, respectively. CFA supported a one-factor structure for GDT and a two-factor structure for GADIS-YA. Measurement invariance was confirmed across gender and gaming time, with significant correlations observed with IGDS9-SF and DASS-21. These findings indicate that GDT and GADIS-YA have satisfactory psychometric properties among young Indian adults. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on gaming disorder (GD) prevalence and a reliable instrument for assessing it in India. Healthcare professionals can utilize the GDT and GADIS-YA to assess GD for preventing and reducing of gaming problem among young adults.

Keywords: GADIS-YA; GDT; Gaming disorder; Psychometric; Reliability; Validity.