The World Health Organization, the health arm of the United Nations, has included a recognition of gaming addiction in their newest internal classification of diseases revision.
That classification, or the ICD-11, is due out in 2018 and the current draft points to prioritization of gaming above all else and impaired control over the act as behavior indicating an addiction.
“The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning,” reads the current WHO draft. “The gaming behavior and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.”
Official recognition means that it's likely official diagnoses are likely not far down the line.
