Video Game Addiction: Signs, Risk Factors, and ADHD Links
Of the billions of people worldwide who play video games, a very small subset exhibits disordered, out-of-control behaviors wherein gaming vastly impacts functioning and interferes with important aspects of living.
Video game addiction — also known as “gaming disorder” and “internet gaming disorder” — is rare, but it does happen.While research on video game addiction is just beginning to blossom, scientists have revealed a few key insights — like the fact that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for video game addiction.
Several treatments for gaming disorder are already available, as are interventions for individuals who display at-risk and problematic gaming behaviors.In the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), video game addiction is recognized as “gaming disorder.” In the U.S., “Internet gaming disorder” (IGD) appears as a proposed condition under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) that warrants further research.As described in the ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR, video game addiction is characterized by persistent patterns of excessive gaming that result in loss of control and adverse consequences over many aspects of a person’s life.Additional Clinical FeaturesGaming behaviors exist on a spectrum from healthy to disordered (i.e., addictive).
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