Nearly one in 10 gamers addicted
Australian researchers believe about 8 per cent of people who play computer games may be suffering symptoms of addiction.
A team led by associate professor Vladan Starcevic at the Psychological Medicine Department of Nepean Hospital in Sydney surveyed almost 2000 computer-game players aged 14 and above and found 156 responded differently to the questions they posed, and appeared to have a problem.
Other studies have shown higher levels of problem game-playing, ranging from 8.5 per cent to 11.9 per cent. Good indicators of a problem are if gamers admitted playing longer than they had planned, or were playing games "despite knowing one should not do it", according to their research, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
