Internet gaming disorder: Remarks of psychiatrists

Abstract

Psychiatrists were interviewed to elicit their remarks on and clinical experiences with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). A case study design with four open-ended questions was chosen. Psychiatrists were asked to answer questions related to the clinical cases they encountered, what they have gone through and what they think about the diagnosis of IGD. Purposive sampling was employed and eight psychiatrists working in İstanbul made up the study sample. There have been numerous studies focusing on its prevalence and treatment but, to the best of author’s knowledge, there are no studies on psychiatrists’ experiences with and remarks on IGD. Therefore, the current study will contribute to the literature by shedding light on practical knowledge and experience, which is as much important as theory. The findings showed that psychiatrists diagnosed a few of the patients suspected of IGD with depression, anxiety disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as comorbidities. Medications were often used to treat comorbidities and cognitive behavioural therapy in some cases. They also stated that they had difficulties while applying the criteria for diagnosis and paid attention to various symptoms. Functionality was reported as the most important criterion and it was suggested to be coded separately in clinical trials.

Keywords: Psychiatrist, internet gaming disorder, video games, case study.