Dr. Hamad Al Ghaferi, Director of the National Rehabilitation Center (NRC), has announced that the center will open an outdoor clinic for the treatment of gaming addiction next year at the center's headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
In exclusive statements to WAM, Al Ghafari said the clinic will provide services to citizens and residents alike.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has integrated gaming addiction into its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) as a reliable global reference for health symptoms.
The Center hosted the sixth meeting of addictive behaviors and their effects on public health in Abu Dhabi yesterday with the participation of a group of academics and doctors to discuss addiction to electronic games, health symptoms, diagnosis and rehabilitation programs related to the excessive use of electronic games, media and Internet games.
Speaking at the meeting, Al Ghafari said: “We have witnessed an important step in adding electronic gaming addiction to the International Classification of Diseases from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The clinic aims to treat addicts using the Internet and electronic games, using the Internet addiction scale for adolescents.