Commercial video gaming could help treat mental illness
Commercial video gaming could help treat mental illness
Commercial video gaming could help treat mental illness
June 17, 2021
Summary
Popular video games have the potential to provide low-cost, easy access, effective and stigma-free support for some mental health issues, researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, have found.
Lero researcher Dr Mark Campbell said there is mounting scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of commercial video games to improve mental health outcomes after the team reviewed existing academic research on the impact of video games on mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety.
"It is worth considering commercial video games as a potential alternative option for the improvement of various aspects of mental health globally," he added.
Dr Campbell led a team attached to University of Limerick's Health Research Institute and Physical Education & Sport Sciences department to publish their latest research paper Gaming your mental health: A narrative review on mitigating depression and anxiety symptoms via commercial video games in academic journal JMIR Serious Games.
Dr Campbell said commercial video games are freely available or available for a one-time relative low cost and there are an estimated 2.7 billion video gamers worldwide.
"The overall accessibility and pervasiveness of commercial video games within modern society positions them as an invaluable means of reaching individuals with mental health disorders, irrespective of age and sex, and with limited access to mental health care, particularly relevant during the current COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
Magdalena Kowal said commercially available Virtual Reality video games have great potential in treating mental health issues also.
Reference
Commercial video games could help treat mental illness. (2021, June 17). Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/612204