Study links loot box purchases to mental health issues

A study involving more than 1,400 adults who engage in gambling and online video gaming has associated loot box purchasing with gambling behaviours, video game addiction, and various mental health issues.

This international research, published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour, offers new insights into the practice of purchasing loot boxes, which are virtual items in video games that offer players random rewards like weapons, cosmetics, or 'skins'. The study was conducted through a collaboration between research teams from Flinders University, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Gibraltar, and ELTE Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary.

Professor Zsolt Demetrovics, a Matthew Flinders Professor in Mental Health and Wellbeing and co-author of the study, commented on the findings, stating, "Overall, the results suggest that, at least to some extent, loot box buying shares similar mental health risk factors with other behavioural addictions." He noted the similarity between loot box purchases, where real-world money is used for uncertain virtual rewards, and gambling, leading many experts to suggest regulation under existing gambling laws.

Professor Demetrovics also highlighted the parallels between problematic gambling tendencies and studies on internet gaming disorder, which is often associated with issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress.

The study involved a predominantly male cohort, with 73% of participants being male and 64% of them reporting videogame play multiple times a week. Notably, 96% had purchased loot boxes in the previous year, with 41% doing so more than once a week, and 12.9% engaging in the activity four or more times a week.

Professor Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, stated that the findings "may be relevant for clinical practice and for the implementation of effective policies when it comes to preventing problematic loot box buying". He elaborated on the relationships found in the data, saying, "The data shows a clear relationship between depression and anxiety, found both as a precursor or as an outcome of gambling severity, and this may also be similar for loot box buying because, although weaker, anxiety and depression were both associated with riskier loot box buying."

Cristina Villalba-Garcia, a researcher at the University of Gibraltar, added, "Although these findings should be interpreted with caution, we recommend that further research into these behaviours would ultimately be of great social and clinical relevance when it comes to minimising damage and regulating loot box buying under laws like those applied to gambling."

The researchers underscored the importance of understanding the mental health impact of loot box purchasing, especially among vulnerable and at-risk individuals, when considering potential regulations. They emphasised that behavioural addictions, including gambling, gaming disorders, compulsive sexual activity, problematic shopping and buying, and problematic use of social media, deserve more attention in both clinical and public health spheres.

The rise of internet connectivity and smartphone availability to younger demographics has been linked to an increase in these behaviours, which also correlate with poorer treatment outcomes for individuals with pre-existing psychiatric conditions. The study represents a segment of ongoing research into the complexities and potential social implications surrounding loot box purchases and their regulation.