Health

The video game disorder will be considered mental illness by WHO.

The disorder by video games will be considered a mental illness by the World Health Organisation (WHO) from the next edition of the International Classification of Mental  (CIE-11) that will publish  in 2018. They will have happened 28 years from the last edition of the CIE.

It seems obvious an update after the big technological revolution lived from those remote years 90 in which the most popular game consoles were the Nintendo NES or the Sony Mega Drive. They would suspect in those years to where could arrive the industry of the video games?

>> Article related: Addiction to Clash Royale: a game that sticks

The addiction to the video games already analysed  in Psicopico.com does some months putting like example the afamado game for smartphones Clash Royale and now seems that the WHO will give him greater validity to this analysis. It remains for knowing inside which epigraph of the CIE-11 will include it.

The addictions can produce  by behaviours very diverse considering  a pathological disorder when they affect of considerable way to the relations and life of the person affected. Besides, this type of behaviour can derive in other mental disorders related like the anxiety or disorders of the state of the spirit.

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However, it does not have to cundir the panic and yes has to to know differentiate between what is a behaviour problem and what is a pathological behaviour not to fall in the stigmatisation or the prejudice. In fact, play to video games can be even positive to improve appearances like the creativity or the taking of decisions.

Criteria diagnostics of the disorder by video games.

Has to understand  that it exists a problem with the video games of pathological type when it exists a pattern of behaviour of continuous and consistent game and that unchains behaviours desadaptativos bass that affect to the normal operation, as they could be these:

  1. Fault of control on the behaviour of game. That is to say, not knowing stop, play when it does not proceed or contexts desapropiados, fault of control in the intensity with which plays  or fault of control on the time of game.
  2. Priorización Of the inappropriate game leaving other vital interests more important sideways, like the work, family and social relations or other fundamental daily activities that leave  to make for prioritising the game. Unless you are professional player, clear, that now are very fashionable the and-sports and no necessarily these people will develop a disorder by video games.
  3. Maintenance of the behaviour. Although the circumstances change the behaviour of game follows his progression or even increases , still that sucedan negative things in the life of the person. The game keeps his priority.
  4. That the behaviour  suceda along at least 12 months or less for the most exaggerated cases.

Regarding the Manual of Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), that is the most widespread manual and used by psychiatrists and psychologists, in his update of 2013 no concrete this type of disorder like specific of the video games. In spite of having some speculation on his insertion like such, for the moment the scientific evidences do not seem to be of the all clear regarding the development of a real disorder. What yes comes reflected in this manual is the pathological game (ludopatía) from 1980, with some criteria similar diagnostics but without doing reference to the cases of video games but to cases more related with the bets. In any case, the CIE-11 will give the first step for the diagnostic of mental illnesses like disorder by video games.

>> Article related: How they stick the games of mobile?

We expect that it was not necessary to diagnose too many cases and the games follow serving for what were created in his moment: the entertainment and the leisure. This yes, do not know if this type of decisions will be of the like of the giant industry of the video game that in some cases creates authentic machines of neuromarketing that attain to stick to more than one throwing of psychology and social influence, variables and factors that explain so much the the article of Clash Royale already quoted as in this another on How stick the games of mobile?

Iván Pico

Director y creador de Psicopico.com. Psicólogo Colegiado G-5480 entre otras cosas. Diplomado en Ciencias Empresariales y Máster en Orientación Profesional. Máster en Psicología del Trabajo y Organizaciones. Posgrado en Psicología del Deporte entre otras cosas. Visita la sección "Sobre mí" para saber más. ¿Quieres una consulta personalizada? ¡Escríbeme!