The association of psychological need dissatisfaction with problematic digital gaming: Mediating roles of EPOCH well-being and resilience in adolescents

Drawing on self-determination theory, this study examines how EPOCH well-being and resilience mediate the relationship between dissatisfaction with psychological needs and problematic digital gaming. Data were collected via questionnaires from 647 adolescents aged 13–19 (M = 15.80, SD = 1.10), 55.8% of whom were girls, using a convenience sampling method. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Results indicate a significant positive association between dissatisfaction with psychological needs and problematic digital gaming. Moreover, both EPOCH well-being and resilience were found to mediate this relationship. By highlighting the role of psychological resources in adolescence, this study makes novel theoretical and practical contributions to understanding the associations between psychological need dissatisfaction and problematic digital gaming. This is a cross-sectional study, which limits the generalization of the research results. The participants are adolescents attending middle schools in some rural areas of Türkiye, which limits the generalizability of the research results to adolescents in other parts of Türkiye and the world. Additionally, research data were obtained through self-report scales. This may lead adolescents to respond in line with their developmental perceptions of social desirability.