Put the controller down and step away from Candy Crush.
The World Health Organization will classify “gaming addiction” as an addictive behavior disorder, similar to gambling disorder, in its 2018 International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), according to a beta draft posted on the ICD website.
The International Classification of Diseases contains codes as well as signs and symptoms of diseases and disorders to be used by healthcare and clinicians across the globe.
The organization classifies gaming addiction as a “pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior which may be online or offline.” The description says that the addiction may manifest by impaired control over gaming onset, frequency, intensity, duration or context, increasing priority giving to gaming so much so that it takes precedence of over aspects of daily life, and continuing or escalating gameplay despite negative consequences.
These symptoms normally must appear over a period of 12 months for a diagnosis, though it may be diagnosed in a shorter amount of time depending on the severity.
The new classification is not saying that all video game playing is a mental health disorder, but rather that excessive gaming over a period of time can lead to diagnosis and treatment.
The upcoming ICD, in its 11th update, will allow doctors and health care workers, as well as researchers and policymakers, to classify gaming addiction as a mental health condition. It is not the final update approved by WHO and wording may be changed based on expert suggestions to the beta draft.
While the ICD will be the first to official place video game addiction in its manual, it has been observed as a concern for nearly five years. The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5” listed “Internet Gaming Disorder” as a “condition for further study” in 2013.
Video game play has been a constant debate over the years, with some studies saying it leads to violent behavior in real life — the American Psychological Association said in a 2015 policy statement that there is a demonstrated link between violent video game use and aggressive behavior — while others say video games are beneficial as a stress reliever and cognitive booster for memory. But as with everything, moderation is key.
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Article source: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/classify-gaming-addiction-mental-health-disorder-article-1.3721762