Video gaming addiction that puts other areas of life at risk is planned to be classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization
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While playing video games may seem like a harmless way to pass the time, obsessive gaming could lead to an impending mental health condition called Gaming Disorder.
The condition is listed in a draft of the WHO’s anticipated 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-II) in a section titled “Disorders due to addictive behaviors.” It is listed after gambling disorder.
In this draft, the condition is described as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour (‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”
Gaming disorder would also be characterized by causing substantial harm to important areas of life, such as personal, educational, family, and occupational functions, according to the WHO document. Gaming disorder symptoms and behaviors wouldn’t have to be apparent all of the time for someone to be diagnosed; they could be “episodic” or “recurrent.” However, symptoms would have to be present over a period of about a year.
The American Psychiatric Association states Internet Gaming Disorder is included in a section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) with other possible conditions recommended for more clinical research and experience before being recognized as formal disorders.
via Esperanza – Hope To Cope
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