You can get treatment for gaming addiction on the NHS from TODAY – do you have these symptoms?
The World Health Organisation has listed 'gaming disorder' in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time.
KIDS hooked on video games like Fortnite will be able to get NHS treatment for video game addiction in the wake of a new directive by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Starting today, the WHO will begin notifying governments globally that they will be expected to add "gaming disorder" to their public health systems, following its inclusion on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
This also applies to the UK, allowing Brits to get treated on the NHS.
The WHO defines a gaming disorder as:
"Impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."
It adds: "For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months."
What is Fortnite Battle Royale?
If you're new to the game, here's what you need to know:
- Fortnite Battle Royale is a free game.
- It's available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac and now iPhone too.
- In the game, up to 100 players are dropped onto a fictional island.
- Players are then forced to battle it out in a last-person-standing deathmatch.
- To help, players can collect a range of weapons hidden all over the island.
- You can also collect resources – like wood, bricks and metal – to build defensive structures.
- The area you can play in on the island is constantly shrinking thanks to an encroaching storm.
- This means players are forced together over time, until just one person survives.
- The game has been a huge hit, and is also available on iPhone.
The WHO added gaming addiction to the ICD following the development of treatment programmes for gaming disorder around the world.
One such treatment centre is the UK's Nightingale Hospital, which opened the first internet rehab service for kids in the country.
Its lead therapist Maria Garcia told The Sun the following about video game addiction:
"Gaming is a popular activity worldwide and recurrent engaging in video games is particularly common among children and adolescents.
"However, in some cases, the excessive use of video games may begin to significantly interfere with someone’s major life activities and interpersonal relationships.
"Furthermore, it may also lead to psychological distress, not only for the person engaging in the behaviours but also for others around them."
The Nightingale Hospital lists the following "warning signs of technology addiction":
- You spend increasing amounts of time on the computer and internet.
- You fail to limit your time spent on the computer or internet.
- You neglect family, friends and other responsibilities.
- You get angry when others criticise the amount of time you spend online.
- You withdraw from other pleasurable activities.
- Your online use interferes with studying or work.
- You are restless and anxious when not online.
- You will forgo necessary sleep to stay online.
Gaming addiction is back in the spotlight after the unstoppable rise of Fortnite: a free-to-play game that's essentially a 100-player last-man-standing deathmatch.
It's already racked up over 40 million downloads since the launch of its Battle Royale mode in September and raked in £222million in April alone.
But there's a dark side to the game that's seen parents claim their kids are addicted to it, spending masses of money on Fortnite.
One 15-year-old’s mother reportedly campaigned for the change after her son had to take a year off school due to his compulsive gaming habit.
Experts have warned that some games are so addictive, kids stay up through the night to play them and even turn violent when their parents intervene.
Up to six per cent may be affected, the WHO warns.
We previously reported that F1 ace Lewis Hamilton was ‘up all night’ playing Fortnite, becoming the latest celebrity addict of the popular game.
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