“Gaming disorder” should be considered a mental health disorder, according to the latest edition of the World Health Organization’s diagnostic handbook. But there’s reason to be skeptical: there’s no medical consensus and many researchers still aren’t convinced this disorder exists.
The WHO added the disorder to the 11th edition of its International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is used to classify health conditions. (It’s similar to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, published in the US, but the ICD covers more than psychiatric disorders and is used internationally.) Three criteria are necessary to diagnose someone with gaming disorder: gaming is strongly preferred over other...
