What Australia’s First Hospital Gaming Disorder Clinic Can Teach Us About Treating Problem Gaming And Why Support Should Be Available Beyond Perth

For some time, gaming disorder has been formally recognised by the World Health Organization through the ICD 11 criteria. Across Australia families are starting to realise that screen use is no longer just a lifestyle choice and in some cases it becomes a clinical concern that affects sleep routines education work relationships and mental health. In Western Australia one hospital has taken a meaningful step forward. The Gaming Disorder Clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital has become one of the first public services in the country dedicated specifically to gaming related harm. Their work has set a precedent and it offers valuable lessons for how support can be offered more widely including in private practice settings.

A Look Inside the Fiona Stanley Hospital Gaming Disorder Clinic

Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth developed a specialist service within its Addiction Prevention and Treatment Service. Their model is built on comprehensive assessment, family involvement, digital detox planning, relapse prevention strategies and a strong focus on re engaging clients with offline life through education TAFE pathways and social activity. The team does not treat gaming as simply a behavioural issue. They screen for underlying mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and their data shows that nearly all clients had at least one comorbidity such as ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression. This reflects a truth that many clinicians see every day. Excessive gaming is rarely just about the game itself. It is most often a coping response to unmet psychological needs or emotional overwhelm.

The Core Insight Gaming Disorder Is Usually Not About Gaming

The Fiona Stanley team (directed by Dr. Daniela Vecchio) highlights something crucial. Most clients are not simply addicted to entertainment, they are using gaming as a reliable way to gain a sense of mastery, predictability, connection or escape. When life offline feels stressful unstructured or unrewarding the digital world becomes a substitute. This lens matters because it shifts treatment away from moral panic and towards compassionate clinical support. It means that sustainable change must include rebuilding offline meaning not just restricting access to screens.

The Gap Hospital Based Services Are Important But Not Always Accessible

The existence of the Perth based clinic is a positive sign that gaming disorder is being taken seriously. However hospital based services come with referral pathways eligibility criteria geographic limits and in some cases wait times. Not every young person will meet the threshold for acceptance into a specialist program. Some families want early support before a crisis develops. Others live on the opposite side of the country. This is why it is important that private psychological services begin to adopt clinically informed digital health interventions that match this level of understanding.

How Skill Tree Psychology Applies These Principles in Richmond NSW

At Skill Tree Psychology in Richmond NSW we draw from the same book as the Fiona Stanley approach but adapt it to a private therapy setting. Our work with gaming is grounded in Self Determination Theory, a clinical framework that recognises that all humans need autonomy, competence and connection. Gaming often meets these psychological needs quickly and consistently which is why it can become such a powerful habit especially for neurodivergent young people or those who feel socially or academically unsuccessful offline.

We begin by helping clients understand what gaming is providing for them personally. Rather than focusing only on reduction we focus on developing healthier pathways to autonomy, competence and connection away from screens. However we are also realistic that motivation alone is not always enough when sleep is disrupted or school has been replaced entirely by gaming. This is where we blend Self Determination Theory with behavioural modification strategies. These include structured routines, sleep restoration plans, environmental adjustments such as removing devices from bedrooms at night or scheduled offline activities that are agreed upon collaboratively with the client and family. Our goal is not to punish gaming but to create a scaffolded environment where a young person can regain control of their time and rebuild offline capability gradually.

This dual approach respects both psychological needs and practical realities. It acknowledges that executive functioning differences and emotional dysregulation may require external support while still promoting intrinsic motivation rather than compliance through fear or force.

Making Support Available Without Needing a Hospital Referral

The Fiona Stanley Clinic has demonstrated that gaming disorder deserves structured treatment. It has helped shift the national conversation. The next step is ensuring that families do not have to travel to Perth or enter a hospital system to access meaningful support. At Skill Tree Psychology we believe that early intervention should be compassionate, motivationally informed and available in local communities without needing to reach crisis level.

If your family is noticing that gaming or digital use is starting to displace sleep school connection or wellbeing support is available privately here in Richmond NSW. Help does not have to begin with a hospital admission and recovery does not have to begin with punishment. With the right blend of motivation based therapy and structured behavioural support it is possible to rebuild a life that feels worth logging back into.