Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation Center

November 5, 2009

Following the news of a treatment center in the UK expanding its offerings to include treating game addiction, an Australian academic has called for a similar program to be launched down under.

Sydney University Psychiatric Professor Vladan Starcevic, also billed as a game addition expert, made the call for action to the Herald Sun citing his own recent research in which he polled 2,000 gamers. The results of the survey led him to believe that up to one in ten subjects showed signs of addictive behavior. Starcevic said that his study was undertaken due to more patients exhibiting signs of being addicted to games.

Of the UK’s Broadway Lodge treatment center, Starcevic noted, “I think it's good that someone has taken this seriously. I think it should be recognised that this is a problem for some people.”

Starcevic’s full study will be released in this month’s Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Posted in Australia Game Addiction Games & Health

Comments

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by Afirejar on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 01:01.

Anyone trying to mass diagnose addictions with surveys shouldn't pose as an expert for the media. Handing in his degree and quitting would be far more appropriate.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 23:53.

MEh, it'll happen for sue in Atkinson's region.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by asmodai on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 18:52.

/facepalm

F#ck I really hate the moral minority in this country making the rest of us look like fools...

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by TBoneTony on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 18:24.

I'd say, Don't need a rehabilitation centre,

instead, talk to addicted gamers though their games and help on their social skills WITHOUT taking away their gaming time.

TBoneTony

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by josh111888 on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 18:14.

Quick! To the bandwagon.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by ZAR on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 16:31.

To fully understand the motivation behind this, you just have to read the very first part of the first sentence of this article:

"Following the news of [...] in the UK"

If the UK comes up with a stupid idea, Australia's politics must follow suit!

ZAR.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by Zerodash on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:38.

I bet that if you had observed me in the last 7 days, someone with an agenda would define me as "addicted" to Borderlands. Of course, someone who actually understands games would know the difference between "addicted" and "enjoying a compelling game".

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:30.

Someone wants funding.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by Kabyk on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:06.

I'd need rehab if I was stuck playing kiddie games forever too.

Re: Addiction Expert: Australia Needs Game Rehabilitation ...

Submitted by mentor07825 on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 14:12.

Why do they think they need this? Seriously? The video game ratings board is doing a great job as it is in limiting video game content that is coming into the country.

Leave it to the experts.

"God, is that you?"

"No! It's a me, Mario!"

"God, is that you?" "No! It's a me, Mario!"

Shout box

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RedMage: Brutal Legend.02/10/2012 - 7:52pm

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james_fudge: I hope you some said something sassy! Where's the link?02/09/2012 - 7:46pm

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james_fudge: Thanks for the heads-up DorthLous02/09/2012 - 4:33pm

DorthLous: Will do, my apologies.02/09/2012 - 4:14pm

Andrew Eisen: I appreciate the heads up but please keep typo alerts to the specific article's comments or PMs.02/09/2012 - 3:33pm

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