This study powerfully demonstrates the potential video games wield for the treatment of mental health.
Dr. Federica Pallavicini‘s work is a cornerstone for the theories DeepWell DTx developed and the practices we deploy today to create truly engaging games with truly therapeutic benefits.
Anxiety was greatly improved after playing a commercially available #videogame compared with not playing the game, surfing the web, watching a film, a passive video game distraction, EMDR therapy, additional anxiolytic medication (such as Xanax or Ativan) or physiotherapy alone.
#Stress was also positively affected even when compared to stress management training. However, some games were found to increase stress, so game selection did matter and matching game play to the specific needs of the patient did yield the best results.
In the end, this quote from the study sums it up best – “it is important to emphasize that not all commercial video games are equal, and their effects strongly depend on specific characteristics of the games”.
But when the right game found the right player the results were overwhelmingly positive and surprisingly effective.Â
Source
