Research projects

We aim to track Ghana nursing students’ (N = 500) gambling and health behaviours from the beginning of their nursing training (first semester of year 1) to the end of their training (final semester of year 3), and to identify factors associated with these health behaviours.

Status: Ethics application submitted. Wave 1 data collection planned for September 2025.

Personality and physical activity participation among Norwegian adolescents: A cross-sectional survey

Principal Investigator: Ståle Pallesen

Norwegian Research Council programme: Better Health and Quality of Life (BEDREHELSE).

Objectives: The project use objective registry data of gambling problems and of potential demographic, socioeconomic and health-related risk factors at the individual level, and will investigate the longitudinal relationship between risk factors and gambling problems. The project use objective registry data of gambling problems and of potential demographic, socioeconomic and health-related risk factors at the individual level, and will investigate the longitudinal relationship between risk factors and gambling problems.

Publications.

Aarestad, S. H., Erevik, E. K., Smith, O. R. F., Griffiths, M. D., Leino, T. M., Mentzoni, R. A., & Pallesen, S. (2023). Ethnicity as a risk factor for gambling disorder: a large-scale study linking data from the Norwegian patient registry with the Norwegian social insurance database. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 355. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01391-0

Girard, L.-C., Leino, T., Griffiths, M. D., & Pallesen, S. (2023). Income and gambling disorder: A longitudinal matched case-control study with registry data from Norway. SSM - Population Health, 24, 101504. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101504 

Girard, L. C., Griffiths, M. D., Rossow, I., Leino, T., Goudriaan, A. E., Smith, O. R. F., & Pallesen, S. (2023). Temporal order of diagnosis between gambling disorder and substance use disorders: Longitudinal results from the Norwegian Patient Registry. Addict Behav Rep, 17, 100501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100501

Syvertsen, A., Leino, T., Pallesen, S., Smith, O. R. F., Mentzoni, R. A., Griffiths, M. D., & Erevik, E. K. (2023). Age and gender differences in gambling intensity in a Norwegian population of electronic gaming machine players. International Gambling Studies, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2023.2199051

Syvertsen, A., Leino, T., Pallesen, S., Smith, O. R. F., Sivertsen, B., Griffiths, M. D., & Mentzoni, R. A. (2023). Marital status and gambling disorder: a longitudinal study based on national registry data. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 199. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04697-w 

Syvertsen, A., Leino, T., Pallesen, S., Smith, O. R. F., Mentzoni, R. A., & Erevik, E. K. (2023). Telescoping and gender differences in high-risk gambling: Loss limit behavior in a population of electronic gaming machine players. Psychol Addict Behav, 37(3), 499-508. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000844

Principal Investigator: Ståle Pallesen, SPILLFORSK

Objectives: Estimate the prevalence of gambling and gaming problems in the Norwegian population, but also other aspects like involvement in gambling and gaming, exposure to and perceived effects of gambling advertisements, motives for gambling and views on and use of various regulatory tools. Four large surveys have been conducted (2013, 2015, 2019, 2022).

Publications.

Pallesen, S., Mentzoni, R.A., Syvertsen, A., Kristensen, J.K., & Erevik, E.K., & Morden, A.M. (2023). Omfang av penge- og dataspillproblemer i Norge i 2022 [Prevalence of gambling and gaming problems in Norway 2022]. Bergen: Universitet i Bergen, Spillforsk

Pallesen, S., Mentzoni, R.A., Torsheim, T., Erevik, E., Molde, H., & Morken, A.M. (2020). Omfang av penge- og dataspillproblemer i Norge i 2019 [Prevalence of gambling and gaming problems in Norway 2019]. Bergen: Universitetet i Bergen

Pallesen, S., Molde, H., Menzoni, R.A., Hanss, D., & Morken A.M. (2016). Endring av penge- og dataspillproblemer i Norge 2013-2015 [Changes in gambling and gaming problems in Norway 2013-2015]. Bergen: Universitetet i Bergen

Pallesen, S., Molde, H., Mentzoni, R.A., Hanss, D., & Morken, A.M. (2016).Omfang av penge- og dataspillproblemer i Norge i 2015 [Prevalence of gambling and gaming problems in Norway 2019]. Bergen: Universitet i Bergen

Pallesen, S., Hanss, D., Mentzoni, R.A., Molde, H., & Morken, A.M.(2014).Omfang av penge- og dataspillproblemer i Norge i 2013 [Prevalence of gambling and gaming problems in Norway 2019]. Bergen: Spillforsk, Universitet i Bergen

Principal Investigator: Eilin K. Erevik

Objectives: Aims to investigate the relationship between suicidality and problem gambling with a mixed-method design. In study 1 the study aims to conduct a literature review and meta-analysis of the relatinship between sucidicality and problem gambling. In the second study we aim to use registry data from the Norwegian Patient Register, Statistics Norway, and the Cause of Death Registry to investigate common causes of death and diseases among individuals with gambling disorder. It will compare the risk of death and suicide with the general population and other disease groups. Dispensation has been sought and obtained from the requirement to obtain consent from the Regional Ethics Committee (REK). In study 3 we aim to conduct interviews to furhter explore the phenomenological experience of suicidality among problem gamblers.

Publications.

Kristensen, J. H., Pallesen, S., Bauer, J., Leino, T., Griffiths, M. D., & Erevik, E. K. (2023). Suicidality among individuals with gambling problems: A meta-analytic literature review. Psychol Bull. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000411

Principal Investigator: World Anti-doping Norway, Dominic Sagoe is part of the research group.

Objectives: The Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction study denotes the need for physical activity and anti-doping interventions in Norwegian prisons. The project is an implementation and evaluation of the efficacy of such intervention - the Hercules prison program. The project replicates an adolescent-targeted anti-doping intervention among Norwegian prisoners, and combines theoretical anti-doping lessons with practical strength training.

Publications.

Sagoe, D., Johnsen, B., Lindblad, B., Normann, T. A. J., Skogvoll, V., Heierdal, M., & Lauritzen, F. (2021). A mixed-method evaluation of a prison anti-doping intervention: The Hercules prison program. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living: Anti-Doping Sciences, 3, 779218. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.779218 

Johnsen, B., Skogvoll, V., and Normann, T. (2021). “YOLO–you only live once”: innsattes fortellinger om bruk av dopingmidler [“YOLO – You only live once”: prisoner narratives on the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids]. Nordisk Tidsskrift Kriminalvidenskab, 108, 196–214.

Sagoe, D., Holden, G., Rise, E. N. K., Torgersen, T., Paulsen, G., Krosshaug, T., Lauritzen, F., & Pallesen, S. (2016). Doping prevention through anti-doping education and practical strength training: The Hercules program. Performance Enhancement & Health, 5, 24–30.

Principal Investigator: World Anti-doping agency. Dominic Sagoe was appointed to the group in 2020 and reappointed in 2023.

Objectives: The WADA Doping Prevalence Expert Group was established in 2017 to investigate the prevalence of doping in sports and recommend preventive strategies.

Publications.

Sagoe, D., Cruyff, M., Spendiff, O., Chegeni, R., de Hon, O., Saugy, M., van der Heijden, P. G. M., & Petróczi, A. (2021). Functionality of the Crosswise Model for assessing sensitive or transgressive behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology: Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, 12, 655592. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.655592

Petróczi, A., Cruyff, M., de Hon, O., Sagoe, D., & Saugy, M. (2022). Hidden figures: Revisiting doping prevalence estimates previously reported for two major international sport events in the context of further empirical evidence and the extant literature. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living: Anti-Doping Sciences & Integrity in Sport, 4, 1017329. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.1017329

Petróczi, A., Gleaves, J., de Hon, O., Sagoe, D., & Saugy, M. (2022). Prevalence of doping in sport. In D. R. Mottram, & N. Chester (Eds.), Drugs in sports (8th ed., pp. 37–71). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003096160-4

Principal Investigator: Dominic Sagoe

Objectives: The project is an investigation of the link between anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use and aggression.

Publications.

Chegeni, R., Pallesen, S., & Sagoe, D. (2021). Aggression and criminality among androgen abusers. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity, 28, 615–624.

Chegeni, R., Notelaers, G., Pallesen, S., & Sagoe, D. (2021). Aggression and psychological distress in male and female anabolic-androgenic steroid users: A multigroup latent class analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry: Public Mental Health, 12, 629428. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.629428

Chegeni, R., Pallesen, S., McVeigh, J., & Sagoe, D. (2021). Anabolic-androgenic steroid administration increases self-reported aggression in healthy males: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Psychopharmacology, 238, 1911–1922.

Chegeni, R., Sagoe, D., Mentzoni, R. A., & Pallesen, S. (2019). Anabolic-androgenic steroid use intent and aggression among adolescents: A longitudinal study. Substance Use & Misuse, 54, 1509–1518.

Sagoe, D., Mentzoni, R. A., Hanss, D., & Pallesen, S. (2016). Aggression is associated with increased anabolic-androgenic steroid use contemplation among adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 51, 1462–1469.

Principal Investigator: Rune Mentzoni

Objectives: The project investigated loot box mechanisms in video games, with the main objective of providing information to decision makers and the public. Results were presented in various conferences and in a report from Forum for spilltrender to the Ministry of Culture.

No publications yet.

Principal Investigator: Rune Mentzoni

The University of Bergen, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have collaboratively developed a survey for children and adolescents aged 6-18 years, as well as their parents or guardians, regarding gaming habits, physical activity, sleep, addiction, and parental regulation of video games.

No publications yet.

Principal Investigator: University of Stockholm, Rune Mentzoni is part of the research group

Partners: Sally Gainsbury, Senior lecturer and Deputy Director of the Gambling Research Unit at the University of Sydney

In the summer of 2019, Norsk Tipping (the Norwegian national lottery) began with e-sport betting. This project aim to describe participants in e-sport betting in Norway and Sweden (demographics, extent of issues, are there different types of e-sport bettors, differences/similarities between Norwegian and Swedish players)

Publications.

Forsström, D., Chahin, G., Savander, S., Mentzoni, R. A., & Gainsbury, S. (2022). Measuring loot box consumption and negative consequences: Psychometric investigation of a Swedish version of the Risky Loot Box Index. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 16, 100453. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2022.100453 

Principal Investigator: Ståle Pallesen

Norwegian title: Foreldres regulering av dataspill hos barn

The aim is to to assess how parents regulate video gaming in children. A total of 2 000 parents of children aged 6, 9, 12, or 15 are invited to participate. The purpose of the survey is to investigate how parents regulate video gaming in children, the statistical properties of a specific questionnaire developed to measure this, and the associations between various video game regulation strategies.

No publications yet.

Principal Investigator: André Baumann

Esports has been incorporated into the Norwegian school system. Today, there are schools across the country offering esports programs. However, there is a limited number of studies that have investigated dietary habits, sleep, and the health of the group of esports students. Therefore, more research is needed to contribute to more knowledge and empirically based advice for this group on what and how, for example, to communicate good advice on physical activity, nutrition, and sleep.

This study will be among the first in the world to investigate the level of physical activity, dietary factors, and sleep among esports students in high schools and folk high schools. The aim of the study is to uncover potential lifestyle challenges that the group may face regarding health and performance

Publications.

Baumann, A., Mentzoni, R. A., Erevik, E., & Pallesen, S. (2022). A qualitative study on Norwegian esports students', sleep, nutritional and physical activity habits and the link to health and performance. International Journal of Esports, 1(1). https://www.ijesports.org/article/88/html 

Principal Investigator: Eilin K. Erevik

Objectives: The project investigated health and substance use among students in Bergen in a longitudinal survey study. The surveys were conducted in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The students answered questions on mental health, substance use, especially alcohol use, and social media use.

Publications.

Erevik, E. K., Vedaa, Ø., Pallesen, S., Hysing, M., & Sivertsen, B. (2023). The five-factor model's personality traits and social and emotional loneliness: Two large-scale studies among Norwegian students. Personality and Individual Differences, 207, 112115. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112115

Sæther, S. M. M., Askeland, K. G., Pallesen, S., & Erevik, E. K. (2021). Smoking and snus use among Norwegian students: Demographic, personality and substance use characteristics. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 38(2), 141-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/1455072520980219

Erevik, E. K., Pallesen, S., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., Dhir, A., & Torsheim, T. (2021). General and Alcohol-Related Social Media Use and Mental Health: a Large-Sample Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19(6), 1991-2002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00296-y

Erevik, E. K., Kristensen, J. H., Torsheim, T., Vedaa, Ø., & Pallesen, S. (2020). Tinder Use and Romantic Relationship Formations: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01757

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., & Pallesen, S. (2020). Demographical, personality, alcohol use, and mental health characteristics associated with different alcoholic beverage preferences among students. Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1824305. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1824305

Erevik, E. K., Pallesen, S., Andreassen, C. S., Vedaa, Ø., Skogstad, A., Dhir, A., & Torsheim, T. (2020). Demographics, Personality and Substance-Use Characteristics Associated with Forming Romantic Relationships. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 6(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-019-00203-2

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Andreassen, C. S., Krossbakken, E., Vedaa, Ø., & Pallesen, S. (2019). The associations between low-level gaming, high-level gaming and problematic alcohol use. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 10, 100186. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100186

Erevik, E. K., Pallesen, S., Andreassen, C. S., Vedaa, Ø., & Torsheim, T. (2018). Who is watching user-generated alcohol posts on social media? Addictive Behaviors, 78, 131-137. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.11.023

Erevik, E. K., Pallesen, S., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., & Torsheim, T. (2018). “Freshman’s week”: characteristics associated with participation and experiencing adverse effects. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 13(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-018-0161-6

Myrseth, H., Pallesen, S., Torsheim, T., & Erevik, E. K. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of stimulant and depressant pharmacological cognitive enhancement among Norwegian students. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 35(5), 372-387. https://doi.org/10.1177/1455072518778493

Erevik, E. K., Pallesen, S., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., & Torsheim, T. (2017). Alcohol use among Norwegian students: Demographics, personality and psychological health correlates of drinking patterns. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 34(5), 415-429. https://doi.org/10.1177/1455072517709918

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Andreassen, C. S., Vedaa, Ø., & Pallesen, S. (2017). Disclosure and Exposure of Alcohol on Social Media and Later Alcohol Use: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01934

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Andreassen, C. S., Vedaa, Ø., & Pallesen, S. (2017). Recurrent cannabis use among Norwegian students:Prevalence, characteristics, and polysubstance use. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 34(6), 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1177/1455072517743427

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., & Pallesen, S. (2018). Alcohol Use Among Business Students: Demographic, Personality, and Social Correlates of Increased Consumption. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 62(6), 900-910. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2017.1307277

Erevik, E. K., Torsheim, T., Vedaa, Ø., Andreassen, C. S., & pallesen, S. (2017). Sharing of Alcohol-Related Content on Social Networking Sites: Frequency, Content, and Correlates. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(4), 608-616. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2017.78.608

Principal Investigator: Ståle Pallesen

Objectives: The project investigated through a three-wave survey how symptoms of mental disorders and video game problems and engagement related over time. The psychometric properties of a new scale assessing video game addiction was also investigated. The project also entailed two video game experiments investigating the effects of reward characteristics. Finally, the project included development of a parental guide for regulating video game behaviour in children which was tested using a randomized controlled trial.

Publications.

Finserås, T.R., Krossbakken, E., Pallesen, S. et al. Near Miss in a Video Game: an Experimental Study. Int J Ment Health Addiction 19, 418–428 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00070-9

Finserås, T. R., Pallesen, S., Mentzoni, R. A., Krossbakken, E., King, D. L., & Molde, H. (2019). Evaluating an Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Using Mokken Scaling Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00911

Krossbakken, E., Pallesen, S., Mentzoni, R. A., King, D. L., Molde, H., Finserås, T. R., & Torsheim, T. (2018). A Cross-Lagged Study of Developmental Trajectories of Video Game Engagement, Addiction, and Mental Health. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02239

Krossbakken, E., Torsheim, T., Mentzoni, R. A., King, D. L., Bjorvatn, B., Lorvik, I. M., & Pallesen, S. (2018). The effectiveness of a parental guide for prevention of problematic video gaming in children: A public health randomized controlled intervention study. J Behav Addict, 7(1), 52-61. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.6.2017.087