Interest of the use of the Problem Videogame Playing (PVP) questionnaire from Tejeiro: Exploratory study in ADHD children

During recent decades, videogame playing has become one of the main leisure activities in children and adolescents. However, studies on video game addiction are still very few. In order to evaluate the difficulties induced by an excessive "consumption" of video games, the team of Dr. Tejeiro developed a self-rating questionnaire: the Problem Videogame Playing questionnaire (PVP, Tejeiro, 2002). We translated this questionnaire with the agreement of the author and carried out, then, a "back-translation". Population: The sample consisted of 50 children (29 children with an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] and 21 controls). All subjects were evaluated on their consumption of videogames (PVP scale) and on their levels of externalized symptomatology by the Conners Parent rating scale and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: None the controls scored above four on the PVP scale whereas 10 hyperactive children among the 29 answered affirmatively to five or more questions (P = 0.02). We focused on PVP scores, and we distinguished two sub-groups among the hyperactive population: children having a score equal to or higher than 5 (n = 10, group 1) and those having a score lower than 5 (group 2). The subjects of group 1 presented a higher index of hyperactivity on the Conners Parents rating scale than group 2 (P = 0.02); and obtained higher scores on the Child Behavior Checklist, on the delinquent subscale (P = 0.03), the aggressive subscale (P = 0.02) and on externalizing problems (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The hyperactive children present more problems associated with video games. Children with high PVP scores appear with a particular behavioral clinical profile. This tool appears useful, for the clinician, in the description of the behaviours of children and teenagers towards video games. Also, it is necessary to use this questionnaire, in its French version, on larger populations.