Therapeutic games to reduce anxiety and depression in young people: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis of their use and effectiveness
- Forfatter(e)
- Eve, Z. Turner, M. Di Basilio, D. Harkin, B. Yates, A. Persson, S. Henry, J. Williams, A. Walton, G. Jones, M. V. Whitley, C. Craddock, N.
- År
- 2023
- Tidsskrift
- Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
- Sider
- 14
- Kategori(er)
- Depresjon og nedstemthet (inkl. både vansker og lidelse) Angst og engstelighet (inkl. både vansker og lidelse)
- Tiltakstype(r)
- E-helsetiltak (spill, internett, telefon)
- Abstract
Objective: The development of serious games for mental wellbeing is a topic of growing interest. The increase in acceptance of games as a mainstream entertainment medium combined with the immersive qualities of games provides opportunities for meaningful support and intervention in mental wellbeing.
Method: We conducted a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis to examine if aspects of the interventions influenced outcomes as measured via overall effect sizes. We employed a multilevel meta-analytic approach to accommodate the interdependency of effect sizes (18 effect sizes from 14 studies, with 2027 participants).
Results: Overall, the main effect for gaming interventions on any outcome variable was small to medium sized, d = .35 (confidence interval [.23, 47], p < .001). Results revealed that the only significant moderator was the nature of the intervention. Specifically, only interventions that included a rational emotional behavioural focus significantly predicted an improvement in depression and/or anxiety in participants.
Conclusion: The findings reveal promising effects for therapeutic games for mental health, but replications are needed, alongside the addressing of methodological and procedural concerns.