The diagnosis of video game addiction in the DSM-5 and the ICD-11: Challenges and opportunities for clinicians

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) (formerly known as video game addiction) is characterized by a pattern of persistent and recurring video game behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress for a period of 12 months. The objective of the following state-of-the-art analysis is to comment on the challenges and opportunities of the DSM-5 and ICD-regarding the diagnosis of IGD that is still being developed. With this purpose in mind, possible technological addictions that are not included in the DSM-5 are reviewed and some of their advantages, challenges, and opportunities are commented on, including severity of effects, age of the most affected population, freemium vs. pay-to-play games, the risk of pathologizing daily life, e-Sports, and the health services portfolio.