The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially
recognized gaming addiction as a Mental Health Disorder.
The WHO's International Classification of Diseases
(ICD), describes addiction to digital
and video gaming as "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming
behavior" that becomes so extensive it "takes precedence over other
life interests".
The WHO's expert on mental health and substance abuse,
Shekhar Saxena, said some of the worst cases seen in global research were of
gamers playing for up to 20 hours a day, forgoing sleep, meals, work or school
and other daily activities.
He stressed that only a small minority of people who play
digital and video games would develop a problem, but said recognition of early
warning signs may help prevent it.
"This is an occasional or transitory behavior," he
said, adding that only if such behavior persists for around a year could a
potential diagnosis of a disorder be made.
Responding to the decision to including gaming addiction,
the Video Games Coalition, an industry
lobby group said their products were "enjoyed safely and sensibly by more
than 2 billion people worldwide" across all kinds of genres, devices, and
platforms.
It added that the "educational, therapeutic, and
recreational value" of games was well-founded and widely recognized and
urged the WHO to reconsider.
Here is the official definition of gaming disorder from the
WHO:
“A pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior
(‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the
internet) or offline, manifested by:
Impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency,
intensity, duration, termination, context);
Increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that
gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and
Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence
of negative consequences.
The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in
significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational
or other important areas of functioning.”
