‘Gaming disorder’ now mental health condition

North Americans had “Pac-Man Fever” as far back as 1981, but it has taken until now for the World Health Organization to officially recognize that playing video games too often could be a mental health disorder.

The WHO is planning to add the term “gaming disorder” to its official list of diseases in 2018, according to a draft of the organization’s 2018 International Classification of Diseases.

The description of Gaming Disorder says that those who are afflicted are characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour, either on digital devices like smartphones or video-gaming offline on machines.

According to the WHO’s description you may have a problem if your symptoms include impaired control over gaming — you just can’t stop playing. Or, you give an increased priority to playing video games to the point they take precedence over other interests and daily activities like eating and sleeping and socializing.

And, the continuation and escalation of gaming continues even after you suffer negative consequences like getting fired for playing on company time or you keep losing relationships because you just aren’t present.

The WHO’s classification means that doctors and insurance companies can recognize gaming disorder as a disease. The WHO’s clinical description does not include prevention or treatment options.