29d • Research product
When Gaming, Grades, and Mental Health Intersect in the Classroom
Video games are now fully embedded in the daily lives of teens and preteens, but their impact is more nuanced than “good” or “bad.” A new study of 388 Jordanian students (12–17 years) shows that gaming behavior, academic performance, and mental health form a complex triangle that educators, psychologists, and parents cannot ignore.
Students with higher GPAs were more likely to report more severe depressive symptoms, suggesting that academic pressure may coexist with high achievement rather than being its opposite. Gaming during class was significantly associated with higher depression scores and more difficulties with deadlines, exam preparation, attending early classes, and maintaining focus.
Problematic gaming (as measured by IGDS9-SF) and anxiety both predicted higher depression severity, whereas stress showed an unexpected negative association with depression in the regression model, underlining how complex these constructs are in youth.
The paper also highlights that teens, compared to preteens, tend to show higher levels of gaming, depression, and anxiety, reinforcing the need to monitor how gaming is embedded in their broader developmental and academic context.
For practitioners using games in educational or training settings, the message is not to avoid games, but to integrate them intentionally, watch for signs of disordered use, and align them with mental health support rather than treating them as a neutral add-on.
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ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS:
Design structured game use, clearly separated from “off-task” play (e.g., no gaming during class unless it is part of the activity), and make rules explicit to students and families.
Embed brief mental health check-ins (e.g., short PHQ-9/GAD-7–inspired reflections) in programs that rely heavily on games, especially for high-achieving or highly engaged players.
Monitor not only time spent playing, but functional impact: deadlines missed, difficulty waking up for early classes, and reduced focus are red flags for problematic gaming rather than simple engagement.
Treat teens who rely on gaming as escape from academic pressure as a priority group for psychoeducation on coping strategies, emotion regulation, and healthy leisure balance.
Train teachers and facilitators to recognize that students who “perform well” academically can still be experiencing significant depression and gaming-related distress, and need proactive support, not only reactive discipline.
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Citation: Rababa’h, S., Alzoubi, K. H., Mahafdeh, R., Basheti, I., Alquraan, L. T., Mahafdeh, B., & Alhusban, A. (2025). A Comparison of Gaming Behavior between Teens and Preteens and its Association with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Academic Performance in Children. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 21(1). https://clinical-practice-and-epidemiology-in-mental-health.com/VOLUME/21/ELOCATOR/e17450179393523/ABSTRACT/
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When Gaming, Grades, and Mental Health Intersect in the Classroom
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