Research suggests that gaming can play an important role in dealing with life difficulties, but few studies have examined this directly. Building on recent research, the current study set out to develop a measure of gaming in difficult life situations (GDLS) and explored the role of emotion regulation and coping self-efficacy as predictors of this behaviour. A total of 667 gamers completed the online survey. Initial analyses demonstrated validity and reliability of the GDLS scale (α = .92), with players turning to gaming as a distraction from life difficulties, to feel a sense of achievement, to connect with others, and for in-game connection and simulation. Multiple regression analysis showed that younger age, more time spent gaming in general, and lower coping self-efficacy predicted GDLS, but emotion regulation was non-significant. The study presents novel insights and a new measure for future research in this area.

研究表明，游戏可以在应对生活困难中发挥重要作用，但很少有研究直接对此进行研究。在最近的研究的基础上，当前的研究着手开发一种在生活困难的情况下游戏的方法（GDLS），并探讨了情绪调节和应对自我效能作为该行为预测指标的作用。共有667位游戏玩家完成了在线调查。初步分析证明了GDLS量表的有效性和可靠性（α= .92），玩家转向游戏是为了摆脱生活困难，感到成就感，与他人建立联系以及进行游戏中的连接和模拟。多元回归分析表明，年龄较小，一般花在游戏上的时间更多，并且应对自我效能较低，可以预测GDLS，但是情绪调节并不重要。