ICD-11 classification of addictive behaviours

At the time of writing, gambling and gaming are the only addictive behaviours considered to have sufficient evidence to be included in ICD-11; other addictive behaviours (eg excessive use of food or sex) are not included. For contrast, DSM-5 recognises ‘gambling disorder’ as a diagnosis but classifies ‘internet gaming disorder’ as a condition requiring further study. DSM-5 terms are not used in these guidelines, but DSM-5 criteria for diagnosis of gambling disorder are available at the American Psychiatric Association website.

The ICD-11 terms used to describe addictive behaviours in these guidelines are:

• hazardous gambling or hazardous gaming—patterns of activity with increased risk of harm to the person or those close to them (eg because of the time or money spent, neglect of other activities or associated risky behaviours)
• gambling disorder or gaming disorder—impaired control over the activity, with increasing priority given to it despite escalating harm to the person or those around them.