DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjm.2026.v12i09.028

Pages: 978-983

Violent video games remain a widely debated genre in adolescent mental health, with growing international evidence linking gaming exposure to disturbed sleep, poorer academic functioning, and altered mood, though data specific to Moroccan and wider North African adolescents remain scarce. This cross-sectional study assessed the association between the frequency and duration of exposure to violent video games and self-reported sleep, academic functioning, and mood outcomes among 100 Moroccan adolescents aged 10–18 years who reported playing violent video games, recruited via an anonymous questionnaire administered online and on paper. Frequency of play (daily vs. non-daily) and session duration (>2 hours vs. ≤2 hours) were analyzed as separate exposures, and bivariate associations with outcomes were assessed using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, with odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and a Bonferroni-corrected threshold given multiple comparisons. Sixty-six percent of participants were aged 16–18 years and 62.0% were male. Daily players (n = 20) were more likely than non-daily players (n = 80) to report sleeping <6 hours on holidays (45.0% vs. 15.0%; OR 4.64, 95% CI 1.58–13.57) and impaired sleep quality on school days (75.0% vs. 42.5%; OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.34–12.25), though neither association survived Bonferroni correction. Daily players were also more likely to report a negative effect of gaming on academic results (60.0% vs. 27.5%; OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.43–10.97) and academic motivation (70.0% vs. 36.2%; OR 4.10, 95% CI 1.42–11.84), both remaining significant after correction. Adolescents who believed that violent video games worsen sadness (n = 40) were more likely to report a negative mood after gaming than those who did not (45.0% vs. 15.0%; OR 4.64, 95% CI 1.80–11.91; p < 0.001), also significant after correction. An exploratory analysis of irritability after prolonged sessions did not reach significance (OR 1.92, 95% CI 0.73–5.06, p = 0.181). Fre