Gaming Disorder is now a mental condition!

Gaming disorder is now classified as a mental condition by WHO:

Parents often hate when their kids stick to the computer screen to play video games and now WHO has come to their rescue. World Health Organization has declared “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition. The 11th international classification of diseases (ICD) includes the condition “gaming disorder”.

What is ICD?

The ICD Is used to define every disease, disorders, injuries and other health-related conditions. Researchers make use of it to count deaths, diseases, injuries, and symptoms, and doctors and other medical practitioners use it to analyze disease and other conditions. The inclusion of a disorder in ICD is a deliberation which countries take into account when planning public health strategies and monitoring trends of disorders.

Some countries already identify this gaming problem as a public health issue, and many including the UK has special clinics to treat it. In South Korea, the government has introduced a law banning access for children under 16 from online games and in China internet giant Tencent has limited the hours that children can play its most popular games.

The symptoms of the disease include impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming and continuation or escalation of gamin despite negative consequences.

Source: diyhealthacademy
Source: diyhealthacademy

Why is gaming disorder added to ICD?

A decision for including gaming disorder in ICD-11 is taken based on reviews of available evidence and a consent of experts from different disciplines and geographical regions that were involved in the process of technical consultations undertaken by WHO in the process of development of  ICD-11.

The inclusion of gaming disorder in ICD-11 follows the growth of treatment programs for people with health conditions identical to those characteristics of gaming disorder in many parts of the world.

A member of the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse said: Eventually, WHO hopes that inclusion of gaming disorder in the classification will stimulate debate as well as further research. This classification also means that health professionals and systems will be more alert to the existence of this condition than earlier.

This decision indirectly supports parents who stop their children to play video games and of course people did not like this news, check out how they reacted:

 

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