GAMING DISORDER: A CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UPDATE

By: Dr José Ramos – Psychologist

Background

Gaming Disorder is classified in the DSM-5 of the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013) within the group of addictive disorders, constituting an addictive behaviour not related to the use of psychoactive substances. It is characterised by a persistent, recurrent and maladaptive pattern of gambling behaviour, associated with significant clinical impairment, operationalised through criteria that encompass dimensions of preoccupation, tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control, escape, chasing losses, deception and functional impairment.

From a developmental perspective, it is a disorder that frequently begins in adolescence, a critical period of vulnerability marked by neurocognitive immaturity – particularly at the level of the prefrontal cortex, with implications for inhibitory control, decision-making and emotional regulation (Dowling et al., 2017). The consolidation of the disorder typically occurs during the transition to adulthood, with a multidimensional impact across the psychopathological, social, family, occupational and financial domains (Emond et al., 2022).