Video games are at the center of a most passionate discussion in the field of mental health. While they are often associated with addiction and sociopathic tendencies, gaming is starting to be viewed in a more positive light, considering its healing potential and its contribution to better mental health. For instance, http://genome10k.org has already implemented tools for responsible gaming. With more consideration and proper gaming, psychological health, stress management, and even intervention for some medical issues can be made.
So, how do video games help with the mental factors and how will they enable one to become more emotionally resilient? Let’s take a look at the reverse side of the game play and see how it engages with one’s mental health.
The Positive Effects Of Video Games on Mental Health
1. Stress and Relaxation
Games serve as a great way to unplug from the world’s transcendental nature and engage with something entirely different, momentarily obliterating any worries or an overload of pressure that accompanies everyday sustenance. A game like Animal crossing and Stardew Valley has catchy sounds, funny quotes and pretty graphics which helps one to calm down and alleviate stress through the aid of these attributes.
Because the tasks in these games are cut and dry, they are repetitive, which is why they add some sort of familiarity and structure to life, especially during times of danger or worry. Video games can help by serving as a much-needed escape from real life, thus reducing stress and allowing for some emotional rest.
2. Break The Ice: Make Friends
Games nowadays have a multiplayer feature that lets the players cooperate and socialize in the game. Games such as Fortnite, Minecraft and even Among Us allow players to talk to each other, form teams, and work to reach a goal together. For some people who have social anxiety or simply feel alone, these games can help them make some friends without the usual social pressure.
Games nowadays have a multiplayer mode that allow absolutely anyone from around the globe to game together. This interaction can result in great friendships and also make the players feel included, which is pivotal to a person for their emotional health.
3. Overcoming Obstacles to Develop Mental Toughness
Learning to overcome failures and defeat challenging aspects of video games greatly contributes to fostering an inner growth mindset. By failing to meet the benchmarks and then subsequently developing ways to learn from the defeats, players are able to hone their mental fortitude. But the gaming industry isn’t shy of producing head scratchers, as we have titles such as Dark Souls and Celeste, which guarantee only the most skilled of gamers with true endurance, creativity and patience are able to beat them.
In the eyes of a gaming enthusiast with social anxiety or depression, these obstacles provide a great sense of achievement, elevating their confidence on multiple levels. Beating a hard level or solving tedious parts of the puzzle can significantly boost their morale.
4. Mindfulness and COGNITIVE FLOW
Beating a challenging video game requires cultivating a mental state of being engrossed in a specific activity, which can sometimes even go as far as a meditative state. In other words, being completely focused and absorbed into the game allows the individual to forget about the many troubles that lie around or headspace that might be bothering them. Tetris, Journey, and Flower are known for their complex mechanisms, which promote a mental state of being with the goal of diverting gamers from stress-provoking thoughts and emotions.
Being immersed in something that feels good portrays a catalyzing emotion, escapes reality, and alleviates feelings of endless and racing thoughts. These seem to be great moments when flowing with a video game, as it is a great medium for relaxation. therapeutic aid or therapeutic aid, there is true value inside immersion with sensations and emotions. Furthermore, building your competency unit in a relaxed state feels like a reward burden immersion or concentration is required for singular reasoning or taking your mind off things.
Diverse Therapeutic and Medical Aids in the Form of Video Games
1. Combat by Ability Versus Talent Model Axis-based Games
SPARX is one of the games designed to assist kids at risk of depression or dealing with anxiety by introducing exercises aimed at changing their mental orientation.
There is a unique benefit from these games – younger people are more willing to engage in therapy through gaming rather than through traditional means of talk therapy. Once imbibed into the game, you tend not to focus on solving the problems at hand. Rather, the game is adapted in such a manner to assist self-help goals.
2. Exposure Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Exposure therapy is a modality that is used to treat anxiety disorders and phobias by introducing the stimulus in a low dose and in a fixed setting. VR video games can be utilized in exposure therapy as they enable the patients to immerse themselves in a setting while being exposed to their fears in an entirely different, safe, and controlled setting.
As an instance, VR games can place an individual is a scenario where they are required to speak on a public platform or sit in an airplane that may be discomforting for them and help them in overcoming their fears. Here, graded exposure is key as it assists the patient in going through anxiety at their own pace, hence lowering the anxiety levels.
3. PTSD and Trauma Recovery through Games
There is much potential in using video games as a means of recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma. Video games like Tetris have shown effectiveness for trauma patients by reducing the incidence of sudden intrusive memories and flashbacks. It is thought that playing games that possess a visual-spatial element immediately after experiencing a distressing moment plays a role in intercepting the development of the memories associated with the trauma.
Also, there is the incorporation of virtual reality games in assisting veterans who suffer from PTSD. Assisting them to relive their traumatic experience in a controlled environment under the supervision of a psychologist.
Cognitive and Emotional Skills Development
1. Enhanced Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
The Legend of Zelda, Portal and many other video games require the player to think critically and assess complex scenarios. This leads to enhancing their problem solving or strategic thinking skills. The puzzles posed by these games require plenty of creative approaches and devising strategies which enhances the player’s experience in the real world and in the game too.
Moreover, overcoming the challenges during the game enhances the players executive function skills – task management, goal targeting and decision making capabilities. Consequently, these functions can be vital for improving the person’s mental health and wellbeing.
2. Gaming as an Aid for the Management of Emotions
Games like The Sims or Life is Strange enable the user to engage in various emotional treatments and learn empathy as well. These games place players within the context wherein they have to make a decision and also face the adverse consequences that come with it, thereby understanding the impact their social behavior has and increasing their social intelligence.
Going back to the topic of emotional management, one can also say the following: Minecraft enables a user to learn while trying out new options in the safety of a controlled environment where making mistakes helps rather than harms a user. Through defeat, users are also able to learn to manage setbacks through frustration, excitement, and disappointment. Furthermore, Strong elements of RPG do offer the player different perspectives while trying to solve a problem, thereby improving their management abilities.
Responsible and Mindful Nature of Gaming Habits
1. Everything in Moderation is Key
This is the reason why even though gaming can provide a lot of positive mental health benefits and aid, moderation is also essential. Spending too much time on games can cause one to withdraw from social activities, alter their sleep schedule or even abuse their body. That being said, moderation is crucial to ensuring video games are beneficial to a persons mental health and wellness.
In order for balance to ensure that children’s mental health remains intact, parents and guardians should pay attention to the sort of games their child is playing and to what age they are recommended for as well as limiting the amount of time a child spends on a video game, ensuring that they take regular intervals and varying their activities such as socializing, exercising and indulging in their hobbies.
2. Toxicity Out Of The House
Just like most modern-day multiplayer games provide an opportunity to socially interact with other players, there are downsides, one of which is abuse or maligning of some sort.
It is essential that the players endeavor to guard their mental well-being by avoiding toxicity and other negative aspects of the games. These days, lots of online gaming sites and platforms offer the option to mute, block, or report bad or toxic players, which can help to make the gaming experience smoother and better.
Gaming and Mental wellness in the future
1. Ongoing Research and Development of Mental Wellness Games
The gaming world, coupled with mental health promotion, is an emerging world that has started attracting many scholarly interests, and researchers are finding useful ways in which video games may be appropriate to promote mental health. Moreover, game designers have also begun to appreciate the power associated with mental health dependent on gaming and are designing games that would encourage someone to relax, be mindful, or develop emotional strength.
Conclusion: Gaming Interventions for Specific Reparative Purposes
Online video games can be of great help in terms of upholding one’s mental well-being. Not only are games effective in reducing stress, and increasing one’s formidability, but more so, they can even be considered as a form of therapeutic treatment, if used properly. The goal is to accept the perks and limitations of gaming, and stay within an acceptable region of both, in a healthy manner.