Evidence of a two-factor structure for Internet Gaming Disorder and Social Media Disorder: Psychometric properties of a new screening instrument for adolescents and adults

Currently, there is no screening instrument available for assessing both internet gaming disorder (IGD) and social media disorder (SMD). This study aimed to examine the reliability and factor structure of a new screening instrument for adolescents and adults, the Gaming and Social Media Questionnaire (GSMQ-9), and to investigate its association with psychosocial outcomes (i.e., psychosomatic problems, self-concept, and social problems for adults and quality of life for adolescents). Survey data were collected from 995 university students and 626 adolescents. Results showed that a two-factor solution, representing Heavy Involvement and Negative Consequences, had a better model fit compared to a one-factor solution for both IGD and SMD and for both adolescents and adults. The internal consistency was acceptable, and the test-retest reliability was excellent. Negative Consequences were significantly more strongly related to all psychosocial outcomes compared to Heavy Involvement. The proportion of participants meeting the DSM-5 symptom criteria according to self-ratings on the GSMQ-9 was 1.4% (adolescents) and 1.8% (adults) for IGD and 2.6% (adolescents) and 4.0% (adults) for SMD. Conclusively, the GSMQ-9 appears to be a reliable two-factor screening instrument for IGD and SMD among adults and adolescents.