Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29529886›Full record

ArticleJournal of behavioral addictions2018

A weak scientific basis for gaming disorder: Let us err on the side of caution.

Antonius J van Rooij, Christopher J Ferguson, Michelle Colder Carras, Daniel Kardefelt-Winther, Jing Shi, Espen Aarseth, Anthony M Bean, Karin Helmersson Bergmark, Anne Brus, Mark Coulson and 27 more

Open access · goldAbstract readComment
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 114 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
114citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
103.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

114 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 338 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Global psychiatrists' opinions aboutPCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article

54 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

37 authors at 20 institutions in 11 countries.

Antonius J van Rooij1 Department of Children & Risky Behavior, Trimbos Institute , Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Christopher J Ferguson2 Department of Psychology, Stetson University , DeLand, FL, USA.
Michelle Colder Carras3 Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD, USA.
Daniel Kardefelt-Winther4 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden.
Jing Shi5 Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
Espen Aarseth7 Center for Computer Games Research, IT University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark.
Anthony M Bean8 Department of Psychology, Framingham State University , Framingham, MA, USA.
Karin Helmersson Bergmark9 Department of Sociology, Stockholm University , Stockholm, Sweden.
Anne Brus10 Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University , Roskilde, Denmark.
Mark Coulson11 Department of Psychology, Middlesex University , London, UK.
Jory Deleuze12 Department of Psychology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) , Louvain, Belgium.
Pravin Dullur13 School of medicine, Western Sydney University , Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Elza Dunkels14 Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University , Umeå, Sweden.
Johan Edman15 Department of Criminology, Stockholm University , Stockholm, Sweden.
Malte Elson16 Psychology of Human Technology Interaction Group, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum, Germany.
Peter J Etchells17 Department of Psychology, Bath Spa University , Bath, UK.
Anne Fiskaali18 Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University , Aarhus, Denmark.
Isabela Granic19 Developmental Psychopathology, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Jeroen Jansz20 Department of Media and Communication, ERMeCC, Erasmus University Rotterdam , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Faltin Karlsen21 Westerdals Department of Film and Media, Kristiania University College , Oslo, Norway.
Linda K Kaye22 Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University , Ormskirk, UK.
Bonnie Kirsh5 Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
Andreas Lieberoth25 Department of Educational Psychology, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University , Aarhus, Denmark.
Patrick Markey26 Department of Psychology, Villanova University , Villanova, PA, USA.
Kathryn L Mills27 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon , Eugene, OR, USA.
Rune Kristian Lundedal Nielsen7 Center for Computer Games Research, IT University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark.
Amy Orben28 Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford , Oxford, UK.
Arne Poulsen10 Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University , Roskilde, Denmark.
Nicole Prause29 Liberos LLC , Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Patrick Prax30 Department of Game Design, Uppsala University , Visby, Sweden.
Thorsten Quandt31 Department of Communication, University of Münster , Münster, Germany.
Adriano Schimmenti32 Department of Human and Social Sciences, UKE - Kore University of Enna , Enna, Italy.
Vladan Starcevic33 Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Sydney , Sydney, Australia.
Gabrielle Stutman34 Clinical Psychologist/Neuropsychologist , New York, NY, USA.
Nigel E Turner6 Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto, Canada.
Jan van Looy35 Department of Communication Sciences, imec-mict-Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium.
Andrew K Przybylski28 Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford , Oxford, UK.
Aarhus University · DKIT University of Copenhagen · DKRoskilde University · DKStockholm University · SEUniversity of Oxford · GBUniversity of Toronto · CABath Spa University · GBCentre for Addiction and Mental Health · CAEdge Hill University · GBErasmus University Rotterdam · NLFramingham State University · USGhent University · BEHøyskolen Kristiania · NOJohns Hopkins University · USKarolinska Institutet · SEMiddlesex University · GBRadboud University Nijmegen · NLRuhr University Bochum · DEStetson University · USTrimbos Institute · NL

Funding

PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMT32MH014592 · NIMH · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI HEATHER E VOLK, Peter P. Zandi · 1985 to 2026
$8.5M
NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH014592
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We greatly appreciate the care and thought that is evident in the 10 commentaries that discuss our debate paper, the majority of which argued in favor of a formalized ICD-11 gaming disorder. We agree that there are some people whose play of video games is related to life problems. We believe that understanding this population and the nature and severity of the problems they experience should be a focus area for future research. However, moving from research construct to formal disorder requires a much stronger evidence base than we currently have. The burden of evidence and the clinical utility should be extremely high, because there is a genuine risk of abuse of diagnoses. We provide suggestions about the level of evidence that might be required: transparent and preregistered studies, a better demarcation of the subject area that includes a rationale for focusing on gaming particularly versus a more general behavioral addictions concept, the exploration of non-addiction approaches, and the unbiased exploration of clinical approaches that treat potentially underlying issues, such as depressive mood or social anxiety first. We acknowledge there could be benefits to formalizing gaming disorder, many of which were highlighted by colleagues in their commentaries, but we think they do not yet outweigh the wider societal and public health risks involved. Given the gravity of diagnostic classification and its wider societal impact, we urge our colleagues at the WHO to err on the side of caution for now and postpone the formalization.

Indexed as

Behavior, AddictiveVideo GamesDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersHumansInternational Classification of DiseasesWorld Health Organizationclassificationdiagnosisgaming disorderInternational Classification of Diseases-11mental disordersmoral panicWorld Health Organization

Identifiers

PMID29529886
PMCPMC6035022
OpenAlexW2793076804

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.