Wednesday 20 June 2018
If you open the latest edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) handbook of the World Health Organization, you’ll notice that Gaming Disorder has been classified as a mental health condition.
In the handbook, the organization has placed it under the “Disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviors” category–it’s the same category which includes “Gambling Disorder” as well. Some people might find this placement apt as video games were already being called “digital drugs” by concerned parents and health specialists.
The organization further lists different reasons that could trigger the disorder:
- Impaired control over gaming
- Priority is given to gaming over other tasks
- Escalation of gaming despite negative consequences
- However, this inclusion isn’t being well received by all; many experts aren’t convinced that gaming disorder even exists in the first place.
On the other hand, Vladimir Poznyak, the WHO member who proposed the diagnosis, told CNN that the inclusion is a result of the trends and developments in the professional field as well as daily lives.
The experts have also argued that WHO’s criteria needs to be more narrowed down as it doesn’t offer a way to distinguish between severe and mild addiction.
