Longitudinal Interactions between Problematic Internet Gaming and Symptoms of Depression Among University Students: Differentiating Anhedonia and Depressed Mood

•Examined problematic internet gaming (PIG) with distinct depression symptoms.•At the within-person level, PIG positively predicted subsequent anhedonia.•At the within-person level, depressed mood positively predicted later PIG.•At the between-person level, higher PIG is linked to more depression symptoms.•Providing deep insights into the dynamic link between PIG and depression. Background/Objective: This study examines the interplay between problematic internet gaming (PIG) and depressive symptoms among university students, specifically anhedonia and depressed mood. Prior studies lacked distinction between these symptoms and had limited follow-ups. Method: The three-wave longitudinal study analyzed data from 1,720 university students (with an average age of 20 years and 49 % being female) using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, which distinguished between-person and within-person effects. Results: At the between-person level, PIG was positively associated with two depressive symptoms. At the within-person level, PIG positively predicted future anhedonia. Besides, depressed mood positively predicted future PIG. Conclusions: Our results have identified PIG as a risk factor for anhedonia and depressed mood as a risk factor for PIG among university students.