Therapeutic Interventions with Videogames in Treatments for Depression: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction:Particularly in the last 2 years, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, people with depression have increasingly sought human connection and relief from depressive symptoms through playing in the world of videogames, and a small yet growing portion of researchers have been investigating the therapeutic potential of that kind of interaction. Objective:The objective of this review was to provide an exploration of the current panorama of scientific research with videogames used as therapeutic intervention tools for depression. Method:A systematic review was performed for that purpose, with a semantic field of 12 keywords around the terms “depression,” “mental health,” and “video games” narrowed down into a concise syntax—(games OR serious games) AND (depression) AND (treatment)—applied to relevant databases for health research; followed by the execution of a search and screening protocol based on one guiding question; and analysis of results based on four elaborative questions. Results:Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and provided a set of both quantitative and qualitative data about demographics, kinds of therapeutic interventions, types of videogames used in the interventions, places, and forms of interaction. Conclusion:Important gaps were found in the review, such as a lack of research aimed at the age group most affected by the disorder, who is also the largest consumer of games; and fresh opportunities to expand the understanding of the subject as well as guide developments of game-based therapeutic interventions.

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