Gamble on the PC: Harmless or sick?

The computer game addiction was as "Gaming Disorder" in the Disease, the world health organization (WHO) recorded. Thus, the question of what is normal and when it is sick it turns. Researchers at the University of Ulm have a first psychological Online Test developed and more than 550 students have been tested.

The investigation among the students showed that they played an average of twelve hours per week, about half of them on the weekend. 36 participants (6.4 percent) had due to your gambling greater difficulties in everyday life and, therefore, could meet the diagnostic criteria of the WHO. At risk is anyone who has over a year of difficulties with the control of the game behavior, as well as the computer game prefers other activities, even if this life is family, education or work.

After running the test, Prof. Christian Assembly moved from the University of Ulm is a positive balance sheet: "The Gaming Disorder Test seems to be suitable to the frequency and – in combination with other questionnaires – effects of computer game addiction in large, cross-cultural groups, according to the proposed WHO criteria."

Has been tested the procedure on students with an average age of 23 years from the UK and China. The Test is now available to the public under www.gaming-disorder.org available. So you can make a self-assessment, and one of the largest studies of excessive computer game to participate.

ZOU