The Role of Mindfulness in Preventing and Treating Video Game Addiction in Teenagers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Context: Video game addiction among adolescents is an emerging public health concern, with growing evidence supporting behavioral interventions to mitigate its impact. Mindfulness-based interventions, which emphasize present-moment awareness and self-regulation, have shown promise in addressing various addictive behaviors. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness practices in preventing and treating video game addiction in adolescents aged 13 to 19 years. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Inclusion criteria focused on studies assessing mindfulness interventions targeting video game or internet gaming disorder (IGD) severity in adolescents. Five studies met the selection criteria and were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers, and meta-analytic pooling utilized random-effects models to estimate standardized mean differences (SMD) in addiction severity. Results: The meta-analysis revealed that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced the severity of IGD in adolescents, with a large pooled effect size [SMD = 1.947; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.599 to 3.295; P = 0.005]. Subgroup analysis indicated that traditional mindfulness training had a substantially greater impact (SMD = 2.77; 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.83; P < 0.001), compared to virtual reality-based mindfulness interventions, which showed no significant effect. However, substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 96%) and potential publication bias call for cautious interpretation. Conclusions: Mindfulness-based interventions, especially mindfulness training, are effective approaches to reduce video game addiction severity in adolescents. Further high-quality, large-scale randomized trials are warranted to confirm these findings and optimize intervention protocols.