THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has formally added “gaming disorder” (GD) as a mental health condition in its 2018 manual on diseases.
The disease is in WHO’s 11th update of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) of recognised conditions. However, as it is a very new condition, no one is sure about its extent, impact or how best to treat it.
Ali M. Mattu, Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders said: “The vast majority of people who play video games do not become addicted, just like how most people who use alcohol do not develop substance abuse problems.”
On the other hand, he said it is not known “how unique or common GD is or how it is related to anxiety, depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or other psychiatric problems”.
WHO defines GD as “a pattern of gaming behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities”.
The new ailment has been included based on an existing consensus of experts in different fields, who were consulted during the drafting of the document; a document that had not changed since the early 1990s.
WHO says the disorder “follows the development of treatment programmes for people with health conditions identical to those characteristic of gaming disorder in many parts of the world, and will result in the increased attention of health professionals to the risks of development of this disorder and, accordingly, to relevant prevention and treatment measures”.
Some studies during previous years had already drawn attention to GD as a pathological disease. For example, an Oxford study conducted in 2016 showed that only 0.5 per cent of the general population had the symptoms, which implies that gaming is addictive.
This meant that, at the time, almost one million Americans had the possibility of suffering from GD, in accordance with the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM-5) criteria regarding addiction to online games.
Moreover, a 2016 study presented by the Internet security company, ESET, found that around 6 per cent of respondents spend 24 hours gaming and 10 per cent spend between 12 and 24 hours gaming.
And, finally, Professor Douglas Gentile, expert on the impact of media on youth, concluded in a 2009 Iowa State study that one of every 10 players is addicted to video gaming.
But, none of these studies were definitive. So, how can we diagnose it?
Given some disagreement amongst the medical community on the easiness with which this disease could be diagnosed, WHO specified that “the behaviour pattern must be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months”.
Thus, doctors should wait 12 months to diagnose patients with this disorder, although, WHO adds, if the symptoms are evident, they can diagnose it earlier.
According to Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, there are three major diagnostic features that would call for a diagnosis of the mental health condition.
First, gaming becomes more important than other things that an individual may do; even activities that were once important are no longer at the forefront of the individual’s mind.
Second, whatever the consequences that may come with playing games, the behaviour will continue or increase.
GD might cause negative sensations such as distress, irregular sleeping habits, changed dietary patterns, and impaired relationships with loved ones.
Mattu said: “Based on what we do know about addictions, GD likely occurs when individuals play video games in a self-destructive way, and ignoring the negative consequences.”
“In other words, video games get in the way of school, work, personal self-care, and relationships. We are wired to experience joy, connection, and meaning in our lives. When we don’t have enough of that in our lives, some of us can seek it out from other sources, like video games. Video games are also engineered to create the psychological state of flow. During flow, experience meets the challenge of a task leading time to pass by without one’s awareness. For some, this could lead to a greater vulnerability in becoming addicted to video games.”
Specialists also argue that it is hard to separate GD from other diseases, and how yet to treat it.
Given this, the American psychiatric community has currently not accepted GD as a disease, so its coverage in American insurances will likely be limited.
On the possible consequences of WHO’s decision, Mattu said: “It is likely to encourage more research which will lead us to have a better understanding of what this problem is, how common it is, and the best way to treat it. We will know much more when the next major version of the ICD is released.” IPS
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