Gaming Disorder and Internet Addiction

Louis R. Franzini, PhD

$14.00

CE Credit Hours : 1

Target Audience : Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, School Psychology, Social Work, Teaching

Customer Testimonials

Course Abstract

Gaming Disorder and Internet Addiction is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that examines the controversial mental health condition of gaming disorder, and the broader concept of internet addiction.

Parents, educators, and health care professionals have all expressed concerns about the proliferation of electronic devices and their negative effects throughout our society. Professional organizations have moved toward considering that the overuse of such devices may be diagnosable mental disorders. These actions have raised a number of related legitimate and controversial issues, which professionals, parents, and societal leaders must address. This course will review the latest developments in this area and some of the pros and cons of those issues.

Gaming disorder itself may be regarded as a subarea of the broader concept of internet addiction. Some of the topics addressed in this course include Process and Problems of Approval of New Disorders, Scientific Issues of Reliability and Validity in the DSM, Does Playing Violent Video Games Cause Violent Behavior, and Substance-Related Addictions.

Course #11-31 | 2020 | 22 pages | 10 posttest questions

Learning Objectives

Describe the process and problems of adding or deleting a mental disorder from the DSM
Identify WHO’s criteria for diagnosing the newly added “mental health condition” of gaming disorder
Discuss the relationship between substance-related and behavioral addictions
List three pros and cons of video gaming and internet usage

Course Directions

This online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. The course is text-based (reading) and the CE test is open-book (you can print the test to mark your answers on it while reading the course document).

Successful completion of this course involves passing an online test (80% required, 3 chances to take) and we ask that you also complete a brief course evaluation.

About the Author(s)

Louis R. Franzini, PhD : Find out More

Louis R. Franzini, PhD, received his B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, his M.A. degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toledo, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Behavior Modification at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (now Stony Brook University). Following the postdoctoral program Dr. Franzini joined the Psychology Department at San Diego State University, where he spent his entire academic career. He retired as Emeritus Professor of Psychology. His international academic experience included appointments as Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-le-Neuve, Belgium and Senior Fellow in the School of Accountancy and Business, Human Resource and Quality Management Division at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Franzini is licensed as a psychologist in Florida and in California.

Financial: Dr. Franzini receives royalties on his books from John Wiley & Sons, Rowman and Littlefield, Square One Publishers, Sage Publications and from Professional Development Resources on sales of his courses.
Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.

CE Information

Counseling

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Approved Continuing Education Provider

Professional Development Resources (PDR) has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5590. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. PDR is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Professional Development Resources is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 - all courses are reported within two business days of completion). Professional Development Resources, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135 - Note: New York counselors will receive 1 continuing education credits for completing this self-study course).

Marriage and Family Therapy

American Psychological Association Approved Sponsor

Occupational Therapy

Professional Development Resources is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course provider ID# 3159. This distance learning-independent course is offered at 0.1 CEUs, introductory level, OT Service Delivery]. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Professional Development Resources is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 - all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

Psychology

School Psychology

Social Work

Professional Development Resources, #1046, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 6/12/2022 - 6/12/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credits.

Professional Development Resources is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 - all courses are reported within two business days of completion). Professional Development Resources, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664 - Note: New York social workers will receive 1 continuing education credit(s) for completing this self-study course). Professional Development Resources is also approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678).

Teaching

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 - all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

Customer Testimonials

R.W. (PY)

Great paper, good and current information, systems overview of diagnosis. Easy to use and low cost CEUs. Thanks!

R.D. (PY)

Very good course!

K.G. (PY)

Thank you for the reminder of the influence of politics on the diagnostic decision making.

S.H. (PY)

Timely and thought-provoking, especially for those of us who were not raised in the electronic age.

C.O. (SS)

I was thinking this course was going to be more about healthy ways to help kids (and adults) manage screen time. However, it was interesting to read about why gaming/internet addiction isn't in DSM and what goes into adding new disorders.

More Testimonials

L.C. (OT)

I appreciated the facts and how current the information is, I learned and can now share the information with parents of my clients. Thank you!

G.B. (PY)

Thanks again for the ease of obtaining CEUs in a cost effective manner.

R.S. (PY)

Nice contemporary information particularly for treating a younger adult and adolescent clientele.

A.S. (MFT)

Very easy to read and understand. Thanks for the lesson. I enjoyed it greatly!

D.C. (MHC)

Good information presented in a readable way.

C.C. (MHC)

Very interesting course. I liked the way the author presented both sides of the controversy about addiction to gaming. Thanks!

E.A. (MFT)

Covered a lot more topics than I thought it was going to.

M.A.M. (SS)

Very relevant discussion and summary of a pressing contemporary problem that affects all age groups in our society.

Course Abstract

Learning Objectives

Course Directions