Online Gaming Addiction

Dr. Nur Nihal Türkel
Department of Psychiatry, Penal Institutions Campus State Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye

ABSTRACT

In the era of globalization, many individuals engage in online gaming as a recreational pursuit. For specific individuals, this pastime deviates from the notion of “leisure entertainment” and progressively transforms into a pathological behavior that impairs their daily functioning. At present, it is appropriate to acknowledge the presence of online gaming addiction in these individuals. Gaming addiction in the 1990s was assessed using the criteria for pathological gambling outlined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Upon the publication of the DSM-5 in 2013, the phrase “Internet Gaming Disorder” gained prominence as a disorder that condition requiring further research. Online gaming addiction is a com- plex phenomenon that is influenced by several psychological, social, and biological aspects.

Furthermore, when there is a suspicion of online gaming addiction, it is essential to carefully examine the presence of comorbidities such as depression and anxiety. Neurobiological research has identified parallels between addiction to online gaming and substance use disorder. The investigation of the therapy of online gaming addiction is now in its preliminary phase, thus making it premature to draw definitive conclusions.

Keywords: Comorbidity; Internet addiction disorder; Personality; Addiction medicine; Depression

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