The Behavioral Addictions Unit of the Health Assistance Institute, located in the Girona Health Region, has experienced a significant increase in demand for care during the last year. The total number of visits registered in 2025 reached 876, compared to 612 the previous year, representing an increase of 41.5%.
More patients and male predominance in care
The global volume of people attended in the unit went from 127 to 150, a growth of 17.2%. 89.47% of the patients attended in 2025 were men, a proportion higher than the 82% registered the previous year. First visits increased by 8.45%, while subsequent visits rose by 35.7%. The number of new patients attended also grew, going from 71 to 74.
Prevalence of Gambling and Video Game Use Among Adolescents
According to the Estudes 2025 survey, 13% of adolescents in Spain play online gambling games and 20.9% do so in person. Both percentages have experienced increases compared to the previous year. The majority profile in in-person gambling is male, with 29.5% of boys compared to 12.3% of girls. In online gambling, 20.7% of players are boys.
Regarding the use of video games, 84.4% of students use them, with a particularly high presence among girls, who reach 96.8%. It is estimated that 8.6% of male students could present a possible video game addiction, while in the case of women the figure stands at 1.8%.
Social networks and internet, downward trend in problematic use
15.3% of students have shown problematic social media use, with a prevalence of 15.7% among girls. Problematic internet and social media use shows a downward trend compared to the years after the pandemic. In girls, the prevalence is 23.4%, which represents a reduction of 3.5 points compared to 2023. In boys, the figure stands at 15.5%.
Pornography Consumption and Gambling Expenditure
The problematic consumption of pornography among adolescents has decreased compared to 2023. Currently, 4.1% of young people present problematic use, being 7.2% in boys and 1% in girls, especially in the 16 to 17-year-old age group. More than half of the young people surveyed acknowledge having consumed pornography in the last year.
Regarding spending, the majority of adolescents who gamble spend less than six euros daily on this activity.