Additionally, WHO lists both online and offline gaming as a disorder, but the former can be an enriching experience as users can forge friendships and even romantic relationships through multiplayer games. In fact, she urinated on herself while sitting down playing the game.
Dr. Shekhar Saxena, director of WHO's department for mental health and substance abuse, told the news outlet that it based its conclusion on scientific evidence and that it indicates "the need and the demand for treatment in many parts of the world". Those who partake in gaming should be aware of time spent on gaming activity when it excludes other daily activities.
It is believed that between 1% and 6% of young people are addicted to video games.
Symptomatic behaviour must continue for at least a year before it is considered dangerously unhealthy, according to the new classification. She added that a minority of gamers would be affected. Other important markets include the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Brazil. Although that may sound intense, so was her video game addiction.
The entire medical world isn't in support of the classification.
The WHO's latest reference bible of recognised and diagnosable diseases describes addiction to digital and video gaming as "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour" that becomes so extensive that it "takes precedence over other life interests".
The ICD identifies about 55,000 separate injuries, diseases, conditions and causes of death, and is widely used as a benchmark for diagnoses and health insurance.
"It enables us to understand so much about what makes people get sick and die, and to take action to prevent suffering and save lives", World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement as the ICD was published.
18 June 2018
18 June 2018
