HOW TO DEAL WITH A GAMING DISORDER
Mental health experts stressed that family support is essential in a gaming addict’s recovery process.
Any form of addiction is tainted with stigma, Ms Pang said, and society at large might not fully understand that addiction is not necessarily linked to character defects and poor willpower.
“Therefore, having a supportive family or peer group environment that validates the person’s struggles can go a long way towards creating a non-judgemental and non-shaming environment for recovery.”
Dr Zhang from the National Addictions Management Service said that it is important to dive deeper and explore the underlying reasons for someone’s excessive gaming because this can help to detect any potential issues – such as using games as a form of escapism – and to promote healthier habits.
However, there are still barriers to truly addressing gaming disorders.
Ms Pang said: “I suspect there is still a lack of understanding from parents that the condition can be debilitating and difficult to overcome.
“The tendency is to see gaming addiction as a ‘soft’ condition, unlike a gambling or substance addiction.
“If not taken seriously, clients cannot successfully learn to re-adapt to the physical world and there will often be self-harm and suicidal ideation behaviours.”
Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, who is the co-founder of Impart, a charity that helps youth facing adversity, said that gaming addiction is often dismissed as a lack of discipline rather than viewed as a mental health issue.
Addressing the stigma requires educating the public and families to recognise that excessive gaming can indicate deeper emotional needs, rather than simply a lack of self-control, he added.
Other than family support, there are programmes offered by government bodies, social service agencies and non-profit organisations to provide alternative means of intervention and prevention.
For example, the Ministry of Education’s cyber wellness programme helps students gain skills to protect themselves, support their peers and seek help when faced with a habit of excessive gaming.
Touch Community Services, a non-profit organisation, has a cyber wellness initiative that aims to cultivate digital literacy in the community.
Apart from cyber wellness education, it also offers a six- to nine-month-long intervention programme called DigitalMindset that aims to help those aged between 12 and 21 to strike a balance between device use and real-life responsibilities.
At Impart, a project called Meta integrates play and group therapy. The 12-week programme combines e-sports training with activities and discussions, guiding young people to explore their life goals.
The aim is for them to pick up e-sports techniques and become more disciplined gamers while growing as individuals. Impart said that this year’s cohort has graduated but the project will restart next year.
Vox, a service centre launched in 2015 by the Singapore Children’s Society, organises gaming interest groups for those aged 13 to 18. Sessions are helmed by a professional e-sports coach and a staff member from Vox.
Mr Chee Thow Wei Liat, deputy director and head of Vox, said: “Through the coaching and group work sessions, youth have given feedback that apart from improving their skills in-game, they were able to better adopt an analytical mindset and communicate in a team setting to deliver their ideas more efficiently, while also strengthening the bonds between them and their friends.”
He believes that these skills are transferrable outside of gaming, and help support young people in areas such as mental health, social relationships and academic challenges.
Over at the Singapore Cybersports & Online Gaming Association, apart from the workshops done in collaboration with the National Youth Council for young gamers, its Train-The-Trainer programme teaches educators to understand a youth’s developmental stages through the gaming lens – what games are popular with the young, as well as their motivations and internet habits.
The course empowers practitioners with the tools to better engage youth in their line of work.
