“Gaming disorder” will be recognised as a disease later this year following expert consensus over the addictive risks associated with playing electronic games, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The disorder will be listed in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), to be published in June, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.
The current working definition of the disorder is “a pattern of gaming behaviour, that can be digital gaming or video gaming, characterised by impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests,” Mr. Jasarevic said.
The provisional guidelines say that an individual should demonstrate an abnormal fixation on gaming for at least a year before being diagnosed with the disorder, which will be classified as an “addictive behaviour”, he said.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the condition disproportionately effects younger people more connected to the ever-expanding online gaming world.
But the WHO spokesperson cautioned that it was premature to speculate on the scope of the problem.
“There are people who are asking for help”, he added, noting that formal recognition of the condition will help spur further research and resources committed to combatting the problem.
