Abstract
Emerging research suggests that commercial, off-the-shelf video games have potential applications in preventive and therapeutic medicine. Despite these promising findings, systematic efforts to characterize and better understand this potential have not been undertaken. Serious academic study of the therapeutic potential of commercial video games faces several challenges, including a lack of standard terminology, rapidly changing technology, societal attitudes toward video games, and understanding and accounting for complex interactions between individual, social, and cultural health determinants. As a vehicle to launch a new interdisciplinary research agenda, the present paper provides background information on the use of commercial video games for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of mental and other health conditions, and discusses ongoing grassroots efforts by online communities to use video games for healing and recovery.
Highlights
In 2017, over 130 million Americans (40% of the population) played commercial video games [1]
Non-profit organizations, such as Stack-Up and Anxiety Gaming, provide spaces where gamers can learn about mental health problems, seek support and assistance, and interact socially either in person or online
This image of connected, socially engaged gamers challenges the stereotypical notion of video game play as an isolating and individual pastime that reinforces societal disconnectedness [26]
Summary
In 2017, over 130 million Americans (40% of the population) played commercial video games ( known as digital games) [1]. There is emerging empirical research into the area of commercial video games as therapy (VGTx). In contrast to the custom-made, video gamebased health interventions and applications (games for health) developed by a large community of innovators in mHealth and eHealth, the present paper focuses on commercial, off-the-shelf video games (COTS games) that are designed for entertainment, with no consideration of their therapeutic potential. We position this research and action agenda as a call for investigators, mental health professionals, the video game industry, and the gaming community to work together to better understand the opportunities and challenges that this emerging field of innovation presents. Success in playing the computer solitaire game FreeCell may be useful to monitor cognitive status in adults
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