September 24, 2018

Internet Gaming Disorder Among Youth: Research, Policy, and Practice Considerations

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“[As] social workers, we are uniquely positioned in school systems, in hospitals, in community agencies. We are in the centers where people come for help when they are normally on their last leg. And so for social workers to be aware of what Internet Gaming Disorder looks like, of how it can affect children, families, society, is extremely important because they are at the frontline of what can either be primary prevention or intervention.”

Stephanie Diez

In this episode, our guest Stephanie Diez discusses the relationship between Internet gaming disorder and other addictive behaviors, and how Internet gaming is categorized within the DSM-5. National and international social policy initiatives designed to address this public health issue are described, and resources and suggestions on how social workers can more effectively identify and address this disorder are provided.

Stephanie L. Diez, LCSW, MCAP, is a PhD candidate at Florida International University’s program in social welfare. Stephanie is also the founder of Reboot & Recover, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization devoted to the education, prevention, research, and treatment of problematic technology use. She has worked as a clinician in the behavioral health field for nearly a decade. Stephanie was recently awarded a dissertation year fellowship, and for the previous three years she was awarded a C-SALUD Student Scholars in Health Disparities Research Fellowship with the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse. Stephanie’s academic work has focused on behavioral addictions and interventions related to the physical, social, emotional, and psychological damage that behavioral addictions can cause in individuals, families, and society.

Interviewer: Charles Syms, LCSW/ACSW