Researchers at Dartmouth College have found that the educational video game PlaySmart helps high school students cope with depression. The results of the clinical trial were published in the journal JAMA Network Open, reports infohub.kz.
The study involved 532 high school students aged 16 to 19 from Connecticut. Some volunteers played the educational game PlaySmart, developed in the play2PREVENT lab led by Lynn Fiellin, once a week for six weeks. The rest played commercial role-playing games.
The PlaySmart project helps teenagers recognize symptoms of depression and make sound decisions in challenging situations. Analysis of data after one year showed that those who played PlaySmart had a 1.12-point reduction in depression scores on the PHQ-8 scale. This result is comparable to or twice as effective as traditional school-based prevention programs.
First author Caroline Barry noted that digital games can reach teenagers in areas with limited access to mental health services. The study also found that the positive effect held regardless of gender, race, or family income.