Plants vs. Zombies vs. Antidepressants – this video game was found to be more effective at relieving depression symptoms than medication.
For those patients whose medication was not effective at treating their depression, using video game play reduced depression symptoms more than using a second medication.
In 2019, pre-pandemic, this research conducted by Carmen V Russoniello et al., showed that playing Plants vs. Zombies was more effective at reducing symptoms for patients who had treatment-resistant depression.
Additionally, the study found that even a single 30 minute #videogame playing session was significantly more effective than a second #antidepressant drug at acutely reducing resistant symptoms depression.
These results may be specific to this group and this study – but they definitely show the potential that commercial video games hold to be integrated as part of a #depressiontreatment regiment.
