Is Internet Gaming Disorder being captured by diagnostic criteria: a qualitative analysis of the lived experience based on Reddit posts.

The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder in the DSM-5 as a condition worthy of further study has generated significant controversy. In part, this is due to concern over how the diagnostic criteria were developed: it is unclear to what extent the development of these criteria incorporated subjective accounts of living with the disorder. The current study aimed to evaluate the extent of the alignment of core symptoms of the gaming disorder lived experience with the DSM-5 criteria for clinical diagnosis. Analysis was conducted of 288 posts on Reddit written by people about their experiences of gaming disorder, using codebook thematic analysis. Seven core symptoms were found. In those, there was no evidence for the existing DSM criteria of tolerance and deception of others about time spent gaming. There was, however, evidence to suggest cravings and urges should be included as criteria, and evidence to support preoccupation, which is sometimes considered to be a feature of highly engaged but not necessarily dysregulated gaming. By emphasising the role of the addicted individuals in constructing their own experience, this work highlights the potential of involving experts with lived experience in the development of such diagnostic criteria.