Life> Health

Video game addiction 'disorder'

By Luke Thomas (The Press)
Updated: 2007-06-27 11:05

New Zealand psychologists say video game addiction should be officially recognised as a psychiatric disorder.

The call follows a debate on the issue at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association last weekend.

Professor Doug Sellman, of the Otago University's Christchurch campus, said the four hallmarks of addiction were present for problem video gamers.

They were unable to control the amount of time spent playing games, the increasing dominance of gaming in a person's life, the compulsion to play the game and psychological behaviours such as withdrawal, and an increasing need for a bigger thrill.

Gamer Matthew Roseathal said he believed gaming addictions were real. "I know people who play 10 hours a day."

Sellman said there were likely to be other disorders with game addiction.

"There are likely to be co-existing disorders. Three-quarters of all addictions have some other form of psychiatric problems."

Video game-makers have previously scoffed at ideas that their games can cause psychiatric disorders.

Sellman does not expect game-makers to take responsibility for any cause of psychiatric harm.

"Unfortunately, commercial interests trample over public health interests."

He said part of the issue came down to parental control.

"Parents need to be mindful and not use game machines as a easy form of babysitting.

"It's the same as any addiction: just because people gamble it doesn't mean they are addicted. It's only 5 to 10 per cent of people who are addicted."

The Netherlands opened the world's first game addiction clinic last year and was overwhelmed with pleas for help from throughout the world.

In one extreme case a 28-year-old South Korean man died of heart failure after playing a computer game for 50 hours straight.