Internet Gaming Disorder: A Clinical Strategy Guide for Providers, Parents, and Players

Internet Gaming Disorder: A Clinical Strategy Guide for Providers, Parents, and Players is the first and most comprehensive resource to address the rising challenge of internet gaming disorder (IGD) in a rapidly growing gaming industry. Written by leading psychiatrists from various specialties, the book provides an interdisciplinary overview of IGD—its diagnosis, treatment, and cultural implications. Offering a holistic view of the benefits and problems associated with gaming, the guide reviews medical and psychiatric comorbidities, issues such as online exploitation, and gaming's effects on populations such as youth, older adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals. It also explores the links between gaming, social media, and real-world violence. Evidence-based interventions, including pharmacological, cognitive-behavioral, and family-focused strategies, are presented alongside ethical considerations and the therapeutic potential of gaming. With case studies that integrate clinical information with real-world applications, key clinical insights, and practice questions, this guide provides practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries, recognizing warning signs, and engaging with videogames in a balanced, rewarding way.

James Sherer, M.D., is Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; Addiction Medical Director at Blake Recovery Center and Addiction Medical Director of Retreat and Recovery at Ramapo Valley, part of Hackensack Meridian Health in Mahwah; Network Medical Director for Addiction Medical Services at Hackensack Meridian Health Care Transformation Service; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Newark; and Chief Clinical Officer at Nostos in Mount Tabor, New Jersey.

Nathan Carroll, D.O., M.B.A., M.P.H., is National Medical Director of a pioneering technology-focused mental health company; the former Chief Psychiatric Resident at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, part of Hackensack Meridian Health in Neptune, New Jersey, and the immediate past Chair of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation Leadership Fellowship in Washington, D.C.

Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Professional Development at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; Chief of Service at University Hospital; and Director of the Northern New Jersey Medications for Addiction Treatment Center of Excellence in Newark, New Jersey. He is also a former President of the American Psychiatric Association (2023–2024).