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Cited by 65Educational Games and GamificationDigital Mental Health InterventionsStroke Rehabilitation and Recovery

Videogames as Therapy: An Updated Selective Review of the Medical and Psychological Literature

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Griffiths, Mark D., Kuss, Daria J., Ortiz de Gortari, Angelica B.·2017·International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management
DOI 10.4018/ijphim.2017070105
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Abstract

There is a long history of using videogames in a therapeutic capacity including rehabilitation for stroke patients, people with traumatic brain injuries, burns victims, wheelchair users, Erb's palsy sufferers, children undergoing chemotherapy, children with muscular dystrophy, autistic children and individuals looking to overcome real-life challenges (including symptoms of depression) and boost their wellbeing (including boosting life satisfaction, self-efficacy and social support). This paper briefly and selectively examines a number of areas including: (1) videogames as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, (2) videogames as distractors in the role of pain management, (3) videogames and cognitive rehabilitation, (4) videogames and the development of social and communication skills among the learning disabled, (5) videogames and impulsivity/attention deficit disorders, (6) videogames and therapeutic benefits in the elderly, (7) videogames in psychotherapeutic settings, (8) videogames and health care, (9) videogames and anxiety disorders, and (10) videogames and psychological wellbeing. It is concluded that there has been considerable success when games are specifically designed to address a specific problem or to teach a certain skill. However, generalizability outside the game-playing situation remains an important consideration.

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  • Evidence of generalisability of commercial games beyond game-playing is limited.

    “Evidence of generalisability of these games beyond game-playing is limited,28”

    From A novel ACT-based video game to support mental health through embedded learning: A mixed-methods feasibility study protocol (2020) · cites this paper as [28]

    The ‘Videogames and Health Care’ section (page unavailable) says that almost all games evaluated for health promotion were specially designed, raising questions about the utility of commercial games. The Conclusion (page unavailable) likewise says this makes their therapeutic value hard to evaluate. These passages support limited evidence for benefits from commercial games, but do not specifically assess whether skills gained in game-playing generalise beyond it. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Authors
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B.
Affiliations
  • Nottingham Trent University (GB)
  • International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK & Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Belgium
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management
Publisher
IGI Global Scientific Publishing
Published
2017-07
Volume
5
Issue
2
Pages
71-96
ISSN
  • 2155-5621 (ISSN-L)
  • 2155-563X
DOI
10.4018/ijphim.2017070105
OpenAlex
W2624076419
Cited by
65
References
142
Citations by year
2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1
FWCI
13.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
Keywords
video games, serious games, therapeutic use of games, rehabilitation, cognitive rehabilitation, pain management, distraction therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, impulsivity, older adults, psychotherapy, anxiety disorders, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, social support, life satisfaction, generalizability

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