Sharp rise in addiction referrals attributed to young spending more time at home during Covid pandemic
The number of children and young adults entering treatment for gaming addictions and disorders tripled over the last year, with experts believing that the pandemic and lockdowns play a key role in the increase.
The clinic, part of the National Centre for Behavioural Addictions, opened in 2019 as the country’s first specialist clinic to treat children and young adults who are addicted to playing video games. The clinic opened a year after the World Health Organization recognised “gaming disorder” as a medical condition.
