Internet Gaming Disorder

With an estimated 3.3 billion gamers globally and an
industry valued at nearly $300 billion, video games represent the
fastest-growing form of entertainment-outpacing traditional sports, music,
and movies combined. Although gaming can foster community and personal
enrichment, it also carries the risk of internet gaming disorder (IGD), a
behavioral addiction marked by impaired control over gaming, prioritization
of gaming over other activities, and continued play despite negative
consequences.

Internet Gaming Disorder: A Clinical Strategy Guide
for Providers, Parents, and Players is the first and most
comprehensive interdisciplinary resource on the diagnosis, treatment, and
cultural context of IGD. Written by psychiatrists with expertise spanning
child and adolescent, addiction, forensic, and geriatric psychiatry, this
volume offers a holistic view of the benefits and problems associated with
gaming.

Accessible yet clinically rigorous, this guide explores


* Medical and psychiatric comorbidities associated with IGD
* The
risk of online exploitation
* Gaming's impact across diverse
populations, including children and adolescents, older adults, and LGBTQ+
individuals
* The intersection of gaming with social media and
real-world violence
* The latest evidence-based interventions, from
pharmacological treatments to cognitive-behavioral therapy and family-based
strategies

Further chapters delve into the ethical dimensions of
gaming, the future of immersive technologies, and how video games are
emerging as therapeutic tools. Each section integrates clinical insight with
real-world examples, offering case studies, key clinical points, and
practice questions to reinforce learning. Equally valuable for clinicians,
families, and gamers, Internet Gaming Disorder provides practical strategies
for setting healthy boundaries, recognizing warning signs, and engaging with
video games in a balanced, rewarding way.