How can we conceptualize behavioural addiction without pathologizing common behaviours?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) introduced a new diagnostic category for addictive disorders.
• Research has since expanded to classify numerous common behaviors and leisure activities as potential behavioral addictions.
• This expansion risks questioning the relevance and credibility of the field of addictive disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an operational definition of behavioral addiction.
• To establish exclusion criteria to prevent the overpathologizing of common behaviors.
• To provide a common ground for future research and classification in addictive disorders.

Main Methods:

• Development of an operational definition for behavioral addiction.
• Formulation of specific exclusion criteria.
• Justification of the proposed definition and criteria by addressing existing theoretical and methodological shortcomings.

Main Results:

• A proposed operational definition of behavioral addiction is presented.
• Exclusion criteria are provided to differentiate addiction from non-pathological behaviors.
• The definition and criteria aim to rectify shortcomings in current conceptualizations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed definition and exclusion criteria offer a framework to avoid pathologizing common behaviors.
• This approach seeks to maintain the credibility of the behavioral addiction field within the DSM-5 classification.
• An invitation is extended for collaborative refinement of the definition via an Open Science framework.