Training for Life: Designing a Game to Engage Younger People in a Psychological Counselling Program (original) (raw)
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Frontiers in digital health, 2022
for improving user engagement in mental health care (23, 33). Serious games, defined as computerized games for educational purposes or for changing experience or behavior patterns (34), are used as therapeutic tools in treating anxiety, depression, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and alcohol use (33, 35-40). Game interventions promote improved memory, attention span, problem-solving, emotion management and socialization (41), better information retention (42), and learning (43), while supporting behavior change (44). Research also supports the benefits of integrating patient/staff and peer-to-peer interaction, and stakeholder collaboration into game designs (45). By contrast, some studies have identified links between videogame use and depression, aggression, addiction, and negative moods (46-48). The risks of excessive internet use have also intensified during the pandemic due to worldwide school closures and prolonged confinement of youth at home (48). Gaming disorder, identified in the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, is characterized by extreme investment of time (8-12 h/day) in gaming to the detriment of real-world relationships, daily routines, and life responsibilities (49). Prevalence rates for gaming disorder among youth have also been estimated at 10-15% in Asian countries and 1-10% in Western countries (50). Research presenting a proper assessment of gaming disorder is at an early stage. Some researchers have identified theoretical and methodological issues (51), while others still believe that solid evidence on gaming disorder as anything but a symptom of other disorders has yet to be produced (52, 53). Youth mental health services are a rapidly developing field with a focus on prevention, early identification, treatment innovation and service development (54-56). Amid the crisis provoked by Covid-19 and its disproportionate psychosocial effects for young people (57), opportunities exist to deploy and scale up digital services to support mental health for this population (58). Yet, competing perspectives also exist around videogame technology as a tool for mental health treatment and education. However, little is known about how games have been used in clinical mental health services for youth, the experiences