Sharpening the focus on gaming disorder
Open accessAbstract
The definition of gaming disorder is an important first step in developing a public health response to a new problem. Gary Humphreys reports.
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Outside the East Asian context, almost no national health care responses or other organized health service programs had developed in response to the need for problem gaming services.
“Outside the East Asian context, almost no national health care responses or other organized health service programs had developed in response to this need 139,156,157 , even in pioneering countries that had highlighted gaming disorder in their national health or addiction strategic plans more than a decade ago 158,159 .”
From Emerging experience with selected new categories in the <scp>ICD</scp>‐11: complex <scp>PTSD</scp>, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (2022) · cites this paper as [157]
The Abstract (page not provided) reports 84 internet-addiction programmes in Japan and a behavioural-addiction programme in Geneva. It also says that unclear definitions make treatment and public-health policy harder to develop. It does not establish that national responses or organized services were almost nonexistent outside East Asia. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Kurihama Medical and Addiction Centre in Japan reported treating more than 200 patients with gaming disorder in 2019, which for many adolescent patients involved working with parents and other family members.
“The Kurihama Medical and Addiction Centre in Japan reported treating more than 200 patients with gaming disorder in 2019, which for many adolescent patients involved working with parents and other family members 157 .”
From Emerging experience with selected new categories in the <scp>ICD</scp>‐11: complex <scp>PTSD</scp>, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (2022) · cites this paper as [157]
The passage headed “Abstract” (page not provided) identifies the Kurihama centre in Japan and reports that 241 of its 269 current internet-addiction patients had gaming disorder as their principal addiction. The paper was published in 2019, but the passage does not establish that all 241 were treated during that year. Its description of Higuchi’s treatment approaches does not say that care for many adolescent patients involved working with parents or other family members. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn East Asian countries, there have been long-standing coordinated governmental efforts to support research and public health initiatives for gaming disorder.
“In East Asian countries, there have been long-standing coordinated governmental efforts to support research and public health initiatives 149,157 .”
From Emerging experience with selected new categories in the <scp>ICD</scp>‐11: complex <scp>PTSD</scp>, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (2022) · cites this paper as [157]
The Abstract reports that Japan’s first internet-addiction programme began in 2011 and that 84 programmes now operate nationwide; it also mentions a national survey of internet addiction. It does not establish that these were coordinated government efforts, or document such efforts across East Asian countries specifically for gaming-disorder research and public health. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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- Authors
- Humphreys, G.
- Affiliations
- Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Humphreys, Gary
- Venue
- Bulletin of the World Health Organizatino
- Publisher
- WHO Press
- Published
- 2019-06-01
- Volume
- 97
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 382-383
- ISSN
- 0042-9686 (ISSN-L)
- 1564-0604
- PMC
- PMC6560378
- OpenAlex
- W3048047629
- Cited by
- 64
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 16
- FWCI
- 20.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Bulletin of the World Health Organization (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- gaming disorder, definitions, public health response, gambling, mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Female, Humans, Japan, Male, Behavior, Addictive, Video Games, Internet, Young Adult
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