CANBERRA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some everyday behaviors, including excessive gaming, binge eating and compulsive sexual behavior, can share many characteristics with traditionally recognized alcohol and drug addictions, an international study has found.
Researchers found gaming disorder was 98.9 percent similar to gambling disorder, sharing many of the same risk factors, warning signs and underlying characteristics. Binge eating disorder and compulsive sexual behavior disorder also showed a high degree of overlap, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's Flinders University.
The study, published in European Psychiatry, examined almost 250 systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing gambling disorder with alcohol use disorder and six behavioral addictions.
The findings add to evidence that addiction can extend beyond substances and gambling, while everyday behaviors such as gaming, eating and shopping can make harmful patterns harder to identify and address.
The researchers compared the disorders across 75 factors linked to addiction, including mental health, personality traits, emotional regulation, cognition and brain function, and found striking similarities between many of the conditions.
They said that better recognition of behavioral addictions could reduce stigma, improve access to care and help people get support before significant harm occurs. ■
