The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said that compulsively playing video games classifies as a mental health condition. The United Nations health agency made the announcement in its latest revision to its disease classification manual, according to The Associated Press. Dr. Shekhar Saxena, director of WHO's department for mental health and substance abuse, told the news outlet that the conclusion was based on scientific evidence and that it indicates “the need and the demand for treatment in many parts of the world.” ADVERTISEMENT A spokesperson for the British Psychological Society, however, cautioned parents about what qualifies as compulsively playing video games. “People need to understand this doesn't mean every child who spends hours in their room playing games is an addict, otherwise medics are going to be flooded with requests for help,” Dr. Joan Harvey said. The AP notes that the American Psychiatric Association still does not label gaming disorder as a mental health condition. A 2013 statement from the group said it's “a condition warranting more clinical research and experience before it might be considered for inclusion” in its manual. The group has also noted that most of the scientific literature about compulsive gamers is based on findings on young Asian men. Saxena said approximately 2-3 percent of gamers are likely affected by this condition and said many parents should make sure to consistently observe the habits of their children. “Be on the lookout,” he said. “If (video games) are interfering with the expected functions of the person — whether it is studies, whether it's socialization, whether it's work — then you need to be cautious and perhaps seek help.”<doc-sep>The inclusion has caused some concerns that linking gaming with disease could stigmatise people who like to play video games. But it’s important to remember that for someone to be diagnosed with gaming disorder, their behaviour must be of a particular nature and severity to significantly affect their social lives, relationships, school, or work. It must also be present for at least 12 months before a diagnosis is assigned. It’s also critical to point out that, as with some other disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviours – gambling or alcohol addiction, for instance – only a small proportion of those who game will show symptoms of the disorder. The new version of the ICD has been updated to reflect changes in society, and keep pace with evolving health conditions that emerge; gaming is one of them. We hope that recognising gaming disorder as a medical condition will increase awareness among people who might be at risk, so that they can get the help they need. We also hope it will stimulate further research, international collaboration and monitoring of trends, and, particularly importantly, the preparedness of health professionals to diagnose and manage these conditions. This is what the WHO is about – getting better statistics so that people get the care they need. Not only will this new classification empower health professionals to better treat the problem of gaming disorder; it should also raise public awareness that this is a very real problem, with established risks.<doc-sep>E3 just wrapped up in L.A. with good news for gamers (and especially for Super Smash Bros. fans). Now, World Health Organization has delivered its own kind of video game news: the bad kind. WHO announced Monday that compulsively playing video games is a new mental health disorder. Called "gaming disorder," the condition will be added to WHO's International Classification of Diseases, based on research and the need for treatment around the world. Simply having a newfound obsession with Fortnite and an impressive high score in FIFA does not mean someone has gaming disorder. It's more nuanced. According to Dr. Vladimir Poznyak of WHO, there are three major criteria required to diagnosis gaming disorder, CNN reports: Gaming takes precedence over other activities, "to the extent that other activities are taken to the periphery," he said. Video games are continued to by played despite negative consequences—i.e. "impaired control of these behaviors," he said. Compulsive gaming leads to significant strain on personal, family, social, educational, or occupational functioning, affecting relationships and health, he said. A WHO representative estimated 2 to 3 percent of video game players meet the criteria for gaming disorder. But Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, who has studied video games for 30 years, estimated that the gaming disorder affects less than 1 percent of gamers, and that many would have other mental health issues like depression, bipolar disorder, or autism. “If [video games] are interfering with the expected functions of the person—whether it is studies, whether it’s socialization, whether it’s work—then you need to be cautious and perhaps seek help,” he told The Washington Post. One thing is clear: More research needs to be done to give health care professionals guidelines for treating gaming disorder, and to make sure the criteria are accurate (and not too vague). Play smart, gamers. Sarah Rense Sarah Rense is the Lifestyle Editor at Esquire, where she covers tech, food, drinks, home, and more. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Obsessively playing video games could be the sign of a serious mental health issue, officials have said. Playing them compulsively now qualifies as an official mental health condition, according to the World Health Organisation. That means that the NHS must offer treatment, for instance, and may spur new research. The scourge of gaming addiction is not only damaging those who show signs of it but tearing entire families apart, experts have warned. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty But critics fear that making the new classification could lead to the stigmatisation of young video game players.<doc-sep>
The World Health Organization says compulsively playing video games now qualifies as a new mental health condition - a move that some critics warn may risk stigmatising its young players. In its latest revision to an international disease classification manual, the UN health agency said Monday that classifying "Gaming Disorder" as a separate condition will "serve a public health purpose for countries to be better prepared to identify this issue." Dr. Shekhar Saxena, director of WHO's department for mental health, said WHO accepted the proposal that Gaming Disorder should be listed as a new problem based on scientific evidence, in addition to "the need and the demand for treatment in many parts of the world." Dr. Joan Harvey, a spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society, warned that the new designation might cause unnecessary concern among parents and said only a minority of gamers would be affected. Others welcomed the move, saying it was critical to identify video game addicts quickly because they are usually teenagers or young adults who don't seek help themselves. "We come across parents who are distraught, not only because they're seeing their child drop out of school, but because they're seeing an entire family structure fall apart," said Dr. Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a spokeswoman for behavioural addictions at Britain's Royal College of Psychiatrists. She was not connected to WHO's decision. Bowden-Jones said gaming addictions were usually best treated with psychological therapies but that some medicines might also work. Dr. Mark Griffiths, who has been researching the concept of video gaming disorder for 30 years, said the new classification would help legitimise the problem and strengthen treatment strategies. "Video gaming is like a non-financial kind of gambling from a psychological point of view," said Griffiths, a distinguished professor of behavioural addiction at Nottingham Trent University. "Gamblers use money as a way of keeping score whereas gamers use points." He guessed that the percentage of video game players with a compulsive problem was likely to be extremely small - much less than 1 percent - and that many such people would likely have other underlying problems, like depression, bipolar disorder or autism.