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World Health Organisation drafts definitions for video game addiction

Gaming disorder and hazardous gaming outlined in draft of 2018 revision to organisation's International Compendium of Diseases

World Health Organisation drafts definitions for video game addiction

The World Health Organisation has drafted definitions for video game addiction as part of its beta of International Compendium of Diseases revision.

This new documentation is set to be rolled out later in 2018, but includes definitions for 'gaming disorder' and 'hazardous gaming' in its addiction section.

"Impaired control"

Gaming disorder is defined as a pattern of behaviour where the subject has "impaired control" such as being having little grasp over when they do it and for how long.

Furthermore, video games taking over someone's life is also part of the brief, as well as there being negative consequences due to them playing games.

"The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning," the text reads.

"The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gaming behaviour and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe."

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Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.