A Psychological Overview of Gaming Disorder

Over the last decade, the availability of different online games has increased rapidly, which coincides with the expeditious development of the gaming industry. Given that online games such as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appeal to a broad audience, who will spend large amounts of time engaging with these games, it is unsurprising that small numbers of highly engaged gamers may develop problems as a consequence of their excessive gaming patterns, including gaming disorder (GD). A unified assessment approach to GD is needed as substantial differences related to classification within the context of assessment can further generate confusion and render inconclusive information on the prevalence rates, clinical course, treatment, and biomarkers implicated with GD. Several scholars have called for unification in the assessment of GD following the publication of the nine IGD criteria by the APA. This chapter addresses these issues.