Fact: Why the WHO wants to treat the game as a disorder, and why some do not agree

Reclbadification is part of the eleventh revision of the WHO International Clbadification of Diseases, to be adopted this month.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a plan to include "gambling disorder" state of health. The reclbadification is part of the eleventh revision of the WHO International Clbadification of Diseases, which is to be adopted this month.

This decision gave rise to a debate. While gambling addiction is widely acknowledged – recent reported incidents include a man found dead in a cafe after three days of continuous gambling, and a couple neglecting their child because of gambling – critics have objected to the problem. idea of ​​formalizing it as a disorder. 19659006] "Disorder" was included in an ICD-11 project published in June. Although the clbadification is intended as a set of guidelines, ICD-11 influences many countries in determining health care policies, diagnoses and treatment options.

India has a rapidly growing game population. A Google-KPMG study in 2017 estimated that the Indian online gaming industry was worth $ 290 million and is expected to reach $ 1 billion by 2021. The study established the current number of online players to 120 million options, the number could reach 310 million in 2021.

Disorder, as defined

In the ICD-11 project, gambling disorder is defined as "… a game behavior ("digital game" or "video"). "Game") characterized by a deficient control of the game, increased priority given to the game on other activities to the extent that the game takes precedence over other interests and daily activities and the pursuit or l '; climbing the game despite the appearance of negative consequences. The project adds that the behavior in question must be severe enough to "significantly alter" the operating areas for a period of at least 12 months.

Many clinics around the world offer specialized treatment for gambling addiction.

19659010] Among the concerns of the experts report the detrimental effect that this "premature clbadification" could have on treatment and treatment. Policy development. In an article entitled "A weak scientific base for gambling disorder: Pardons on the side of caution," published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, experts from 34 institutions said that a stronger evidence base is needed to clbadify something as a formal disorder. The paper agrees that gambling addiction as a phenomenon deserves further study, but argues that premature clbadification as a disorder could lead to misuse of the diagnosis. The authors also questioned the clinical utility of such a clbadification. They pointed out that there is still no exact list of symptoms that can be attributed to the game as a disorder. What would clinicians then use to try to determine when addiction becomes a disorder?

There is also concern that gambling addiction is a symptom of a deeper problem such as depression. The new clbadification, the researchers said, could lead to a trend where clinicians treat the symptom rather than the underlying problem.

In an open letter to the WHO, the researchers asked why the reasoning behind the inclusion of gambling disorder can not be used. other forms of dependence. Why is there not a technological problem, a smartphone problem or a gambling problem? The WHO, they said, has not been able to elaborate satisfactorily on this.

In an article entitled "The World Health Organization's junk diagnosis for" Game Disorder "Trivializes Mental Illness", Christopher J Ferguson, Professor of Psychology at Stetson University, the " Suggested "political pressure" could have influenced the decision of the WHO. He listed potential examples, such as China, which is known to run Internet-based detox camps, and South Korea, which forbids people under 16 to play after midnight.

More research is needed

idea about one thing – this gambling addiction, to the point where it becomes an obstacle to a normal routine, needs more research. The WHO believes that formalizing the disorder will help experts around the world to conduct more research, while critics believe that research should precede any attempt at formalization.

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