Many parents have watched their child become entranced by the flashing images of a video game and wondered when they’ll resurface to the real world, and why they can’t just give up control of the controller.
Now, they may have their answer: According to multiple major news outlets like CNN, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases.
Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, proposed the new diagnosis to the World Health Assembly, WHO’s official decision-making body.
Dr. Poznyak said that the WHO is not creating a precedent, but simply following the trends which have taken place in populations and in the professional field. While the WHO may be willing to trust in cultural developments, not all psychologists agree that gaming disorder is worthy of inclusion in the International Classification of Diseases, known as the ICD. Many believe the diagnosis to be premature, or a coping mechanism indicative of another issue like anxiety or depression.
The ICD defines diagnostic standards for a plethora of diseases, disorders, injuries and other health conditions. For gaming disorder to be classified, it must have distinguishable diagnostic characteristics.
Those characteristics are similar to the symptoms of substance abuse and gambling disorders. In the announcement, Dr. Poznyak outlined three major “diagnostic features” of gaming disorder: the gaming behavior becomes priority over other activities; the gamer loses control of their behavior (so when negative consequences occur, such as an angry parent, the gamer continues to play or increases their game time); and finally, the condition leads to significant issues in personal, family, social, educational or occupational areas of life. The impact of a gaming disorder may include sleeping issues, diet problems or a lower level of physical activity. For a diagnosis to be made, the negative pattern of behavior must last at least 12 months.
While Poznyak admitted that this condition is not common, he stressed the importance of the WHO’s classification, which will hopefully stimulate debate as well as further research on the condition and possible preventive measures.