Mental health enters a new frontier

In other words, excessive gaming is not simply a matter of poor self-control. For some people, it is a medical condition that requires professional treatment.

For An Jing, a housewife in Hebei province, that distinction is painfully personal. Her 16-year-old son has become completely immersed in the online world, eventually taking a year off from school. He has reversed his day-night schedule, developed irregular eating habits, and spends nearly all his waking hours playing games, watching TV, or scanning smartphones. "When I see children carrying schoolbags on the street, I can't help but cry. But little by little, I've gotten used to it," An says.

Although many parents like An feel they are confronting a relatively new problem, the medical community began taking it seriously years ago.

Yang Kebing, chief physician and director of the hospital's Addiction Medicine Center, tells China Daily that he vividly remembers the period when the WHO gathered experts from around the world to evaluate whether gaming disorder should be included in the ICD-11.

"As discussions intensified, we realized this was becoming an increasingly serious issue," Yang says.

Drawing on years of clinical observation and research, the hospital opened China's first specialized behavioral addiction ward on May 21, 2019 — four days before the ICD-11 was formally adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly.

Located near the hospital's north gate, the facility — also known as Inpatient Ward 29 — hardly resembles a traditional psychiatric ward. Reminiscent of the courtyards nestled in Beijing's hutongs, this single-story compound features a ping-pong table and four swing chairs, creating a relaxed atmosphere. The patient rooms are arranged around the courtyard, while the treatment rooms feel more like recreation spaces, such as a board game room and a mini karaoke booth.