Gaming for mental health 

“Daunte Culpepper to Randy Moss for the touchdown!” the announcer cheered. The first video game I played was an American football game called “Madden NFL 2002” on my PlayStation 2. As a second grader, I ran the same play over and over: Randy Moss running straight down the field to catch my touchdown pass. On beginner mode, it was easy and fun. 

I never got as deeply into video games as many of my childhood friends. They would come home from school and immediately turn on their Xbox 360, playing games ranging from “Halo” to “Super Mario” and everything in between. Often, they would play games online, talking and interacting with others across the country and even the world. 

While this level of gaming had its drawbacks (perhaps slipping grades and family tensions, among others), it was clear that video games were highly engaging. Given this, my research team and I asked a simple question: Can video games be used for good? Can they help us solve the youth mental health crisis? 

We took a close look at all the randomized clinical trials (the gold standard for research) evaluating the effectiveness of video games specifically designed to treat children and teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and/or anxiety. Our findings showed that these games could be effective for treating ADHD and depression. Interestingly, we also found that games with time limits and played on a computer were more effective than those played on tablets or smartphones. 

The future of “gamified” digital mental health interventions is bright, and the applications are numerous. For example, video games are being created to treat more disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias. Furthermore, many games that we currently have are still in their early stages. AI will likely play two different roles in the continued development of gamified interventions.  

First, AI will assist in optimizing game content to accelerate improvements in efficacy across different populations. Second, generative AI, like ChatGPT, will help gamified interventions become more responsive and adaptive to a user’s gameplay, thereby facilitating more efficient treatment. 

Just as normal video games require responsible use, so too do gamified mental health interventions. Coupled with the known detrimental effects of screen time, our finding that games with time limits were more effective underscores the need for their structured use (usually three times weekly for 25 minutes). It’s also important to understand that gamified interventions are only one piece of a mental health treatment plan. Such games should be used to enhance, not replace, working closely with a trained mental health clinician. 

At a time when video games often justifiably get a bad rap, it’s exciting to know they can indeed be used for good. As we harness technology to optimize gamified interventions, while remembering to be responsible with their use, there are many reasons to be hopeful that these video games can be a “touchdown” when tackling the youth mental health crisis. 

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.