Video game addiction begins to be considered a mental illness by the WHO

Since this Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun to recognize video game addiction as a mental disorder by including it in its current classification of diseases.

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The WHO has published the eleventh version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which is now in force at the international level to notify the causes of death, but also of illness, including mental ones.

Among mental disorders, the WHO has officially included video game addiction, within the category of ‘substance use or addictive behaviors’, along with gambling addiction disorder.

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The WHO has also begun to recognize the “dangerous use of video games” as one of the factors that it considers to influence the state of health, within the dangerous uses of substances, in the same category as gambling but also the lack of of physical exercise or inappropriate eating habits.

The new list of ICD-11 diseases was originally adopted at the World Health Assembly in May 2019 for the notification of mortality, and that the member countries planned to start using it from 2022. Video game addiction was already included then.

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Since then, early adopter countries, translators and scientific groups have recommended further modifications to produce the version released Friday.

“Video game addiction is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (to digital games or video games), which can be online (that is, through the Internet) or offline”explains the WHO in the new list of diseases.

Among the features that distinguish people with this disorder, three are distinguished: the lack of control over the game, both the moment in which it occurs, the duration or the context; the increase in priority over other vital activities; and the continuation or intensification of the game despite the negative consequences on the person.

The WHO has explained that the pattern of compulsive gambling “can be continuous or episodic and recurrent”, and that it can also be the result of distress or deterioration in important areas such as personal, family, social or educational.

“Gaming behavior and other features are usually evident for a period of at least 12 months for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.”the WHO has added to the document.

Video game addiction is now considered a mental disorder by the World Health Organization. (Photo: Unsplash)

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Source: Elcomercio