Guilherme BorgesRicardo OrozcoRaúl A. Gutiérrez–GarcíaYesica AlborAna Lucía Jiménez PérezKarla Patricia Valdés‐GarcíaPatricia M. Báez MansurMaría Anabell Covarrubias Díaz CouderCorina Benjet2026-03-222026-03-22202410.21203/rs.3.rs-4558929/v1https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4558929/v1https://andeanlibrary.org/handle/123456789/83880Citaciones: 1<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Purpose</bold>: While internet gaming disorder has been clinically delimited, we still know little about its mental health determinants. We aim<bold> </bold>to evaluate whether a wide range of baseline mental disorders predict Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) one to three years later, among first year university students in Mexico. <bold>Methods</bold>: This is a prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of one to three years conducted from September 2018 to June 2022 in 6 Mexican universities. Participants were first-year university students (N=2,144) free of symptoms indicative of IGD at entry (baseline). Ten mental disorders (bipolar, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, alcohol use disorder, drug use disorder, binging and/or purging, intermittent explosive disorder, psychotic experiences, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) at baseline were the main risk factors explored for the incidence of IGD at the end of the follow-up. We used Cox regression to model the IGD incidence rate. <bold>Results</bold>: A composite measure of any mental disorder at baseline was associated with an increase in 2.33 times (1.26-4.31) the rate of IGD 1 to 3 years later. Several individual disorders were associated with rates of IGD in multiple models, with comorbid conditions diminishing most of these associations. <bold>Conclusion</bold>: While students with a range of mental disorders were at risk for development of IGD, only major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder remained associated with a new case of IGD. Discrepant results from available longitudinal studies on the role of specific mental disorders in the development of IGD needs to be further investigated.enLongitudinal studyMental healthThe InternetPsychologyPsychiatryInternet privacypreprint