“Go-tcha!”: The social component of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic and the benefits of playing Pokemon Go

Abstract

The present study aimed to test the reasons behind people’s use of Pokemon Go during the Covid-19 pandemic (post-lockdown) in Romania, along with a set of particular factors that could contribute to the enhancement of users' mental health (i.e., loneliness, social intimacy, social intelligence, and social capital). To do this, we investigated several correlations between the key variables and models for predicting the level of loneliness and the strength of “bonding” and “bridging” links, based on reasons for playing Pokemon Go. The research was conducted on a sample of 238 individuals (47 % males and 53 % females; M = 26.38, SD = 6.70). Our findings have revealed that the game itself became a coping mechanism during the challenging Covid-19 situation, facilitating and initating gatherings in small groups to uphold the social component of mental health. Furthermore, our findings contribute to the scientific knowledge by illustrating how an augmented reality-based game can positively impact mental health in crisis situations, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the results, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of Pokémon Go on mental health, emphasizing the aspects that mental health workers and game developers need to consider for improving the mental health of the users.