Acceptance and Cognitive Restructuring Intervention Program (ACRIP) in Telemedicine on the Symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder and Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents

Abstract

“Gaming disorder”, the official nomenclature given by the World Health Organization (WHO) to compulsive online or offline gaming, was recently recognized as a mental health condition. It was included in the WHO’s 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) released mid-2018 and characterized as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (‘digital-gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which maybe online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: (a) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); (b) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and (c) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.” These manifestations whether continuous, episodic or recurrent, must be present at least in the last 12 months to be significant for diagnosis. If severe symptoms and all diagnostic criteria are present, the length of time may be shorter. The ICD is used by medical practitioners around the world to diagnose conditions and by researchers to categorize conditions [1].