The Spanish boy was treated in hospital for two months due to a strong addiction to video games, according to the website of the Spanish radio station Onda Sero.
A team of specialists from the Provincial Hospital in Castellon, the University of Haume I and the University General Hospital published an article about the world’s first clinical case of a minor who was hospitalized for two months due to a serious addiction to the video game “Fortnight”.
The boy from Castellon was hospitalized with symptoms including isolation in the house, refusal of social interaction, refusal to visit a doctor, low interest in the environment, sleep disturbances, refusal to perform basic daily activities and take prescribed medication.
The boy used to do well in school, but his relatives found that he often missed classes and lost interest in learning.
At the clinic, doctors determined that the addiction to video games arose after the boy lost a relative, as well as as a result of stress caused by increasing demands on him at school.
According to experts, the widespread use of new technologies in everyday life and entertainment highlights the potential harm of excessive use of video games. The authors of the study emphasize that adolescent behavior should be monitored, especially because of “immaturity of behavior and cognitive functions in adolescence.”
An intensive multidisciplinary approach, work with the patient and his family, cognitive reconstruction, development of new skills were used for treatment. According to experts, the therapy helped the boy realize the impact of the video game on his life, cope with the grief of losing a loved one and understand how the game was able to protect him from emotional shocks.