Effectiveness of digital games promoting young people's mental health: A review of reviews
Language
EN
Article de revue
This item was published in
Digital Health. 2024-01-01, vol. 10, p. 20552076231220814
English Abstract
Objectives: Digital games are a popular form of entertainment for youth. They are often used as a therapy for psychological problems, a mental health promotion intervention, and a preventative measure. Systematic reviews ...Read more >
Objectives: Digital games are a popular form of entertainment for youth. They are often used as a therapy for psychological problems, a mental health promotion intervention, and a preventative measure. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of mental health-related digital games. However, a synthesis considering all evaluation results to inform their development is missing. Methods: We performed a review of reviews to synthetize results of previous research to describe the impact of digital games on the mental health of young people aged <30 years old. We considered systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2012 and 2022. Searches were conducted in Scopus, Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Cochrane library systematic reviews (CENTRAL) during October 2023. Results: Our final selection included 10 systematic reviews and meta-analyses on interventions targeting youth of both sexes aged 2-29 years old across the world. In total, 218 interventions were identified. Selected articles reported different types of games, e.g., active and non-active video games, virtual reality games, serious games. Not all digital games were conscientiously evaluated, but, in general, their impact on mental health was positive. Regarding the quality, 5 studies were of high quality, 3 of moderate quality and 2 of low quality. Conclusions: Overall, elements of gamification were well-accepted, but they lacked assessment through rigorous experimental conditions. Digital games for mental health are promising, but in order to be consistently effective in promoting young people's mental health and prevent psychological diseases, they should present specific features.Read less <
English Keywords
Digital
game
young
mental health
review
ANR Project
Co-création et évaluation d'une Escape Room numérique pour les étudiants sur la santé mentale à l'ère du Covid-19 - ANR-21-CE36-0011
University of Bordeaux Graduate School in Digital Public Health - ANR-17-EURE-0019
University of Bordeaux Graduate School in Digital Public Health - ANR-17-EURE-0019