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Video and App-Based Games for Youth Emotion Regulation: Scoping Review
Angela May Ashley1, Jaidyn Kataryna Charlton1, Hannah Wayne-Phillips2
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
Background:
Emotion regulation (ER) is a transdiagnostic construct encompassing distinct strategies that can be used to encourage adaptive coping skills in support of youth's (ages 10 to 24 years) mental health. ER is responsive to training and intervention, such as via video and app-based games. Previous literature shows that video and app-based games impact the psychological well-being of youth and may be an accessible way to help youth learn about and implement emotional regulation strategies in their lives.
Objective:
Previous reviews have not focused on video and app-based games that support ER and how they may be beneficial to youth with and without a mental health diagnosis. This scoping review sought to collect, review, and understand the scope of research on the effects of video and app-based games on ER outcomes in youth, and areas in need of further investigation.
Methods:
We conducted a scoping search of MEDLINE, Embase, and APA PsycInfo from the beginning of the database up to and including December 2025. Studies were included if they were in English, included youth with a mean age between 10 and 24 years, and that evaluated an intervention or an intervention adjunct to help improve their ER skills using a video or app-based game. We extracted population characteristics (for the video game or app), the effectiveness of the intervention, and ER strategies addressed.
Results:
Following the screening of 14,456 studies, we identified 33 studies for inclusion in the final review. Four recurrent outcomes emerged: change in overall ER skills, mood modification, mental health symptom management, and emotion identification.
Conclusions:
While most studies reported improvements in these areas, some studies reported areas of continued difficulty. The results suggest that video and app-based games could serve as beneficial, easy-to-access tools to support youth ER through various strategies, with areas for future research to address mixed results and recommendations for addressing digital health improvement.