Skip to main content

The World Health Organization labels gaming disorder as a mental condition

Nintendo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In what can be described as a sign of the times, the World Health Organization recognized a new kind of mental health condition. It’s a familiar ailment, though some of us may be slow to call it a medical condition. It’s called gaming disorder, and it’s characterized by “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior,” or more simply, an addiction to gaming.

The inclusion of the new condition was originally announced in the 2017 beta draft of WHO’s update of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). As of Monday, June 18, gaming disorder is officially recognized as a mental health condition by WHO.

Folks who suffer from the disorder are said to have “impaired control over gaming,” which is to say an inability to control the frequency, intensity, duration, and context of their habits. WHO also notes that those who prioritize video games over “other life interests and daily activities” and continue to escalate the amount that they play “despite the occurrence of negative consequences” are also showing symptoms of the newly classified disorder.

“The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning,” the entry reads. “The gaming behavior 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.”

The appearance of gaming disorder in the ICD-11 may have broader implications than we think. After all, it is this document that stipulates the international standard for what does and doesn’t quality as a health condition, which means that doctors can now diagnose patients with gaming disorder, and insurance companies could extend coverage for treatment of the ailment (though it’s unclear how that will manifest itself).

That said, not all health organizations appear to agree with the WHO’s recent labeling. As Newsweek noted, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is created by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), has yet to recognize gaming as an official condition. However, the guide does include internet gaming disorder as a potential problem to continue monitoring for future inclusion.

Updated on June 18: Gaming is now an official disorder according to the World Health Organization.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
SteamWorld Heist 2 makes an underappreciated classic even better
A robot shoot a big mech boss in Steamworld Heist 2.

Back in 2015, developer Image & Form was thriving in the Nintendo 3DS era. Its game SteamWorld Dig had a breakthrough moment two years before, bringing new fans to its unique steampunk world. Rather than following that up with a quick and easy sequel, it would veer into left field with SteamWorld Heist. It wasn't another Dig Dug-like platformer, but a turn-based strategy game that played more like Worms. Though it may not be as popular as SteamWorld Dig and its sequel, it's a hidden gem that's been begging for a sequel.

That'll happen on August 8 with SteamWorld Heist 2. The sequel builds on the original's winning formula, while taking it to new heights. I got a sense of just how much bigger it is when sitting down for a demo at Summer Game Fest earlier this month. Imagine the jump in scope between the first two SteamWorld Dig games, and that's what you can expect from SteamWorld Heist 2.

Read more
GreedFall 2: The Dying World is going full-on Dragon Age: Origins
An NPC looms tall in Greedfall 2: The Dying World.

While I never played the original GreedFall, I'd had it described to me enough that I thought I knew its deal. Friends described it to me as an action RPG in line with The Witcher. I had a pretty clear picture of it in my head, but I second-guessed myself the moment I sat down to play two hours of GreedFall 2: The Dying World. It was nothing like I was expecting. Had I been lied to?

My mind wasn't playing tricks on me. The upcoming sequel is a surprising departure from its predecessor both in terms of story and, more crucially, combat. It's a total reinvention that takes its notes from Dragon Age: Origins more than anything. While the build I played still felt very early, that direction couldn't be bettered timed. With a new Dragon Age game around the corner, I imagine that RPG fans might be hungry for something like it while they wait for its release date. With an early access release planned for this summer, GreedFall 2 could become a tasty first course.
Native perspective
The most immediate change in GreedFall 2 is that players no longer take on the role of a colonizer coming to a foreign land. Instead, they inhabit the role of a native inhabitant. That makes a major tonal difference right out of the gate. The opening prologue I played put me in a small village where I was asked to help solve some local troubles. After a quick combat tutorial (more on that in a moment), I was given two mysteries to solve: find out why some villagers are getting sick and figure out who is killing local wildlife.

Read more
New World: Aeternum made a lot of necessary changes to work on console
Key art for New World Aeternum.

Amazon had a rocky start in the video game industry, but eventually found its footing with PC MMOs like Lost Ark, which was only published in the West, and New World, which it developed internally. Since it launched in 2021, New World has been a PC-exclusive, but that's changing soon. At Summer Game Fest, Amazon announced that it is bringing the game to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this October with some major content reworks and updates, as well as a new name: New World: Aeternum.

I went hands-on with New World: Aeternum at Summer Game Fest Play Days this year, and while I only played a little bit of New World on PC, I can already tell that a lot of work has been put into making this PC MMO feel good to play on console. On top of that, the solo experience also doesn't feel off-putting, as is typically thae case in MMOs.

Read more