The test was first published in a journal article published in the PLoS ONE journal on 14 October 2014. The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) is a short psychometric test to assess video game addiction according to the American Psychiatric Association framework for IGD. Recent review studies suggest that the IGDS9-SF presents with robust empirical and clinical evidence and is an effective tool to assess IGD. Moreover, the scale was adapted in several languages as Spanish, Chinese, Czech, German, and many more. On 3 June 2019, a screening tool for Gaming Disorder, specifically as defined by the World Health Organization, called the "Gaming Disorder Test" was published in a journal article. Risk factors
The Internet can foster various addictions including addiction to gameplaying.Addictive playing of MMORPGs is associated with negative effects, whereas normal play is not.Younger people and men are more likely to experience a gaming disorder than older people and women respectively. Research shows that the average age of a gamer is 30 years old, and 32% of players are under 18.Adolescents are at a higher risk of sustaining video game disorder over time than adults.
Some state that gamers sometimes use video games to either escape from an uncomfortable environment or alleviate their already existing mental issues—both possibly important aspects in determining the psychological impact of gaming. Negative portrayal also deals with the lack of consistency in measuring addictive gaming. This leads to discussions that sometimes exaggerate the issue and create a misconception in some that they, themselves, may be addicted when they are not.The evidence of video game addiction to create withdrawal symptoms is very limited and thus debated, due to different definitions and low quality trials.The concept of video game disorder is itself being debated, with the overlap of its symptoms with other mental disorders, the unclear consensus on a definition and thresholds, and the lack of evidence raising doubts on whether or not this qualifies as a mental disorder of its own. Despite the lack of a unified definition, there is an emerging consensus among studies that Internet gaming disorder is mainly defined by three features: 1) withdrawal, 2) loss of control, and 3) conflict. Although the DSM-5 definition of video game disorder has a good fit to current methodological definitions used in trials and studies, there are still debates on the clinical pertinence.Michael Brody, M.D., head of the TV and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, stated in a 2007 press release that "... there is not enough research on whether or not video games are addictive."