The Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (KAAP), in collaboration with the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Addictions (ISSBA), will host the International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA) at Songdo Convention Center in Incheon from Aug. 23 to 25.

ICBA, which holds its eighth annual event this year, is the most prestigious conference in behavioral addictions, attracting experts from various multidisciplinary fields, including addiction medicine, psychology, health, nursing, social work, education, and information and communication, the KAAP said Friday.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of digital media has exploded, increasing the risk of various behavioral addictions, including online gambling.

It is against this backdrop that world-renowned scholars and experts in related fields gather at ICBA to discuss strategies to maximize the benefits of social change and minimize side effects, organizers said. Scholars will also discuss the pathogenesis of behavioral addiction, prevention, and effective treatment.

Next week’s conference will draw more than 250 researchers and scholars from more than 20 countries and more than 300 experts in related fields from Korea.

"The upcoming congress will be a great opportunity for experts and citizens from various fields to discuss various behavioral addiction issues, as the health problems of the new era, and create various solutions together," said Professors Lee Hae-kook Lee and Suh Jeong-seok, co-chairpersons of the KAAP’s organizing committee.

For more information, contact the secretariat of the International Society of Behavioral Addictions and Addictions at 070-4754-2291 or visit the ICBA 2023 Korea website.