Problem gaming program supports up to 100 young people

ANDm statements to journalists after the official inauguration ceremony of the unit, which was attended by the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, as well as the new president of the Local Health Unit of Matosinhos (ULSM), Nelson Pereira, the person responsible for the program pointed out as a goal “to reach hundreds of people from the North”, and admitted that the program will be extended to other areas of the country.

“There is a possibility that we will not restrict to the North Zone. In fact, we [ICAD] made the inauguration of the intervention unit in the game in Lisbon, so there is the possibility of taking advantage of synergies and extending the part of ‘gaming’ whether through physical methods or through remote methods,” Mário Santos said.

Expert in ‘gaming’, the psychiatrist said that there is already a demand, a demand that, now that the answer has become structured, should increase.

“ We are talking about several dozen, probably in the field of hundreds [of young people] who in recent years, because of the issue of ‘gaming’, have sought the various ICAD units at national level,” he said.

We understand ‘gaming’ as a disorder that has been recognized as a pathology by the World Health Organization since 2018, an additive pathology that is characterized by the problematic use of video games.

Usually teenagers, but also adults, start playing more hours video games or online games and develop a dependency, consuming more and more time in this activity, to the detriment of other important activities for their lives.

Mário Santos explained the pathology with the expression “lose control”, warning that warning signs are giving up things that are important, such as work, personal relationships and school issues.

“And this begins to create consequences. And when that starts to happen, there's probably a problem. Then, when the person himself, when the young man himself stops enjoying what he is doing, is another warning signal. Usually when creating a problematic issue there is no longer pleasure with that object that was entertainment ", described.

With regard to consequences, Mário Santos also warned of a set of comorbidities that may occur, for example anxiety, depressive symptoms, decreased sleep quality and decreased food quality.

The Problem Gaming Intervention Program, located at ICAD's Center for Integrated Responses (CRI) West Port, will be dedicated to young people and adolescents over 12 years of age, a characteristic that distinguishes the Portuguese program from other international ones, highlighted the president of the institute, Joana Teixeira.

“ The great advantage of including the age group of 12 years has to do with studies that identify a gambling player profile in the third cycle. And the third cycle starts there at 12, 13. We have often seen young people of 10, 11 years old already with this problematic issue emerging. Therefore, we broadening the answer, allowing access to the consultation for 12-year-olds to guarantee and not limit access to this treatment ", said Joana Teixeira.

This program will follow an eight to 10 month model with individual outpatient sessions.

Mário Santos highlighted the commitment to provide families with tools to monitor behavior change, spoke in structured family therapy, as well as the importance of research and to promote knowledge and literacy in this area.

The program also has an additional year of follow-up to ensure that it was well achieved, and the possibility of group intervention is offered to young people.

“ This problem mainly affects [young people] between 12 and 24 years old. But we are prepared for other ages”, added the psychiatrist.

The Programa de Intervenção em Gaming Problemática, an intervention program for the dependence of video games directed mainly to young people, will operate in the old hospital of Matosinhos, in Rua Alfredo Cunha, where currently is the Specialized Consultation of the Center for Integrated Responses (CRI) of the Western Port of ICAD.

The team included psychiatrists and pedopsichiatrists, and the referral should be made in a first approach by the family doctor.