Children with video game addiction to receive NHS treatment over Skype The Centre for Internet and Gaming Disorders will treat youngsters across the UK

Children with an addiction to video games will be given improved access to NHS help, including through Skype calls, with the launch of England’s first specialist clinic.

Patients aged between 13 and 25 will be able to seek support for addiction to gaming, the internet, gambling and related issues with social media from psychiatrists and clinical psychologists at the new Centre for Internet and Gaming Disorders.

The news comes after a class action lawsuit against the makers of online game Fortnite was filed in Canada last week, in which the complainants allege two children became addicted to the multiplayer challenge.

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Lawyers representing the parents of the children, aged 10 and 15, said Epic Games had “knowingly put on the market a very, very addictive game which was also geared toward youth.”

Clinic to treat video game addiction

The World Health Organisation (WHO) updated its guidelines to include ‘gaming disorder‘ as a mental health condition in June last year.

It is characterised by three characteristics: “impaired control over gaming,” prioritising playing games over other interests and daily activities and continuing to play games “despite the occurrence of negative consequences”.

People with gaming disorder will experience significant impairment in their personal, family, social, educational and occupational areas of their lives, among other important areas, for a minimum of 12 months under the classification.

The NHS has hired specialist staff to support young patients with gaming disorder, with referrals to the clinic open from 8 October ahead of treatment starting in November.

While the clinic itself is based in the Central North West London NHS Trust, patients will have the option of face-to-face appointments with the centre’s staff or consultations over video Skype calls for remote support across the country.

Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said the new service was a response to an “emerging problem”.

‘Obsessive or harmful behaviour’

“However, the NHS should not be left to pick up the pieces – gambling and internet firms have a responsibility to their users as well as their shareholders and should do their utmost to prevent rather than cash in on obsessive or harmful behaviour.”

The new service is part of an expansion of treatments detailed in the NHS Long Term Plan.

An additional 14 new gambling clinics for adults will be opened nationwide, the NHS confirmed.

Addiction to video games can contribute to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in players, affecting them both psychologically and physically, a study from Nottingham Trent University and the University of Oulu, Finland, found in January last year.

Excessive game playing caused physical ailments including cardiovascular stress, wrist pain, issues with sleep and the nervous system and reduced physical activity, alongside the risk of mental side effects ranging from depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, anxiety, lack of concentration and self-control and impulsiveness, it claimed.

Gaming disorder — How is it defined?

Many countries are implementing means to support children and curb the amount of time spent playing games online.

The South Korean government passed the ‘Cinderella Law’ in 2011, banning children under 16 from playing online games between midnight and 06:00, although parents can request exemptions.

In Japan, players are alerted if they spend more than a certain amount of time each month playing games, according to the NHS, and internet giant Tencent has limited the hours that children can play its most popular games in China to one hour each day for under-12s. Those aged between 12 and 18 are limited to two hours daily.