Efficacy of gamified digital health interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Forfatter(e)
- Liu, Y., Ma, C., Zhang, M., Ma, X., Liu, T., Jia, F., Du, L.
- År
- 2025
- Tidsskrift
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health [Electronic Resource]
- Volum
- 15
- Sider
- 15
- Kategori(er)
- Autismespekter Atferdsproblemer, antisosial atferd og atferdsforstyrrelser Kognisjon (hukommelse, oppmerksomhet og eksekutive funksjoner) Språk og motorikkSosiale ferdigheter (inkl. vennerelasjoner)
- Tiltakstype(r)
- Psykoedukative tiltak (inkl. videobasert modellæring)E-helsetiltak (spill, internett, telefon)
- Abstract
BACKGROUND
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with a rising prevalence and limited effective pharmacological treatments. As non-pharmacological interventions gain traction, gamified digital health interventions have emerged as a promising alternative due to their accessibility and scalability. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of gamified digital health interventions in improving key functional domains in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
METHODS
Following PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, a systematic search was conducted in six electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Scopus) and reference lists of relevant articles up to November 2024. A total of 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comprising 1,050 participants met the inclusion criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were pooled using a random-effects model, and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the effects of different types of interventions.
RESULTS
Meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in emotional skills (SMD = 0.56), social skills (SMD = 0.45), executive functions (SMD = - 0.43), and motor skills (SMD = 1.53). Subgroup analyses indicated that sensor-based games demonstrated superior efficacy. However, no significant effect was observed in reducing behavioral problems (SMD = - 0.14).
CONCLUSIONS
Gamified digital health interventions show promise in enhancing emotional, social, executive, and motor skills in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Future research should focus on optimizing intervention strategies, refining behavioral outcome measures, and conducting high-quality longitudinal studies to evaluate long-term effectiveness.