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Serious Games for Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review.
Christiane Eichenberg1, Markus Schott2
11 Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud Privat University , Vienna, Austria .
Games for Health Journal
|June 20, 2017
Summary
Serious games show promise as an effective tool in psychotherapy and mental disorder treatment. Further research is needed to confirm their full therapeutic potential for patients.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Psychotherapy
- Game-Based Interventions
Background:
- Modern media, including serious games, are increasingly integrated into psychotherapy.
- Serious games combine entertainment with educational and behavioral change goals.
- The use of digital tools in mental health care is expanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an empirical overview of serious games in psychotherapy and psychosomatic rehabilitation.
- To assess the current state of research on serious games for mental health.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search in Medline and PsycINFO using keywords related to serious games and psychotherapy/rehabilitation.
- Inclusion of studies with empirical data on effectiveness.
- Exclusion of publications lacking empirical data.
Main Results:
- Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria.
- Serious games utilize cognitive behavioral techniques for various mental disorders.
- They are effective as standalone or integrated interventions, appealing to diverse patient demographics.
Conclusions:
- Serious games are a viable therapeutic component in mental health care.
- Findings suggest effectiveness, but more research is required.
- Further investigation is needed to solidify the role of serious games in psychotherapy.
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