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.

Comments

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

Submitted by Afirejar on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 00:01.

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 - 22:53.

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 - 17:52.

/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 - 17:24.

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 - 17:14.

Quick!  To the bandwagon.

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

Submitted by ZAR on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:31.
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 - 14:38.

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 - 14:30.

Someone wants funding.

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

Submitted by Kabyk on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 14:06.

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 - 13:12.

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!"
 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
prh99: Also there is no story in rational and respectful discussion (where you can find it).10/19/2014 - 10:44am
prh99: Well they are probably doing it on Twitter and probably the GG hashtag so any voice reason gets drowned out by idiocy. Also it's far easier to broad brush a group.10/19/2014 - 10:41am
Wonderkarp: dont fool yourself, Technogeek. Remember Mass Effect 3? How about the ferver against Phil Fish?10/19/2014 - 10:18am
MechaTama31: None of which is the fault or responsibility of the people who are not trolling, harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. So why is their opinion hostage to the people who are?10/19/2014 - 10:06am
Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am
Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm
Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm
Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm
ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm
MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm
Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm
MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am
Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am
quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician