Gamifying interventions may improve mental health
Mobile mental health intervention may improve resilience and reduces
attrition when delivered as a game

Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
A new randomized control trial has found that turning mobile mental
health intervention into a smartphone game can potentially improve
well- being. The five-week study shows that gamifying the content
of mobile interventions improved resilience, a key character trait
that reduces the susceptibility to depression, stress, and anxiety.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new randomized control trial has found that turning mobile mental health intervention into a smartphone game can potentially improve well-being.

Published September 2, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE,
the five-week study conducted by Silja Litvin at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and her colleagues shows that gamifying the content
of mobile interventions improved resilience, a key character trait that
reduces the susceptibility to depression, stress, and anxiety.


========================================================================== Mobile mental health apps have the potential to act as interventions
for depression and anxiety, but their effectiveness appears limited
with studies showing that individuals do not stick with the routine
for long periods of time. To improve their effectiveness, the authors
proposed turning intervention content into a game that includes levels
that need passing, feedback, points, and other gaming elements. A
five-week randomized control trial was completed by 358 participants
who were assigned to one of three groups: gamified intervention app,
normal intervention app, and waitlisted with no app.

Resilience and anxiety were measured by self-report surveys at three
time points.

The authors found that after five weeks, both measures were significantly better in the game group than in either of the other groups. Additionally,
the game group retained 21% more participants than the other groups. The promotion of mental health is known to be an effective way to prevent the development of depression and anxiety disorders. However, interventions
are rare for a variety of reasons, even for those who need them the
most. A gamified mental health intervention app that retains user interest
and improves resilience could maximize the benefits of mobile intervention
by helping to prevent depression and anxiety, while at the same time being convenient, inexpensive, and a way to avoid getting professional help
and experiencing the associated stigma and negative feelings. Since five
weeks is relatively brief, especially for mental health interventions,
future studies should examine the effectiveness of the gamified app over
the long-term.

The authors add: "eQuoo [the gamified intervention app] was able
to show that it not only had a significant and beneficial impact
on the participant's mental wellbeing but that gamifying therapies counterbalances sky-high attrition rates most mental health apps struggle
with, especially in the demographic of 18-35- year-olds."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Silja Litvin, Rob Saunders, Markus A. Maier, Stefan
Lu"ttke. Gamification
as an approach to improve resilience and reduce attrition in mobile
mental health interventions: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS
ONE, 2020; 15 (9): e0237220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237220 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902152142.htm

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