For many of us, gaming has been a lifesaver throughout the pandemic. It's been one of the few sources of entertainment through the darkest, longest months of lockdown and it's also offered an important social outlet - after all, long before the days of Zoom and Facetime, people have been connecting with strangers and friends alike via video games.
Gaming culture can get a bit of a bad rep due to the frequently graphic and violent content seen in many popular games such as Grand Theft Auto. Believe it or not however, scientists are now claiming that video games may in fact have an important role to play in our mental health as we emerge from the pandemic.
A team of researchers at University of Limerick-based Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland research centre for software, has made claims that video games could provide low-cost, accessible, effective and stigma-free support to those who need to access mental health services that are inaccessible to many due to long waiting lists or high prices.
Speaking to Silicon Republic, Lero researcher Dr Mark Campbell commented: "The overall accessibility and pervasiveness of commercial video games within modern society positions them as an invaluable means of reaching individuals with mental health disorders, irrespective of age and sex, and with limited access to mental healthcare, particularly relevant during the current Covid-19 pandemic."
"It is worth considering commercial video games as a potential alternative option for the improvement of various aspects of mental health globally," Campbell elaborated.
Magdalena Kowal, another member of research team at Lero and UL explained that the pandemic has put an added strain on services that were already under immense pressure to meet demand.
"There is a heightened demand for accessible and cost-effective methods that prevent and facilitate coping with mental health illness. This demand has become exacerbated following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent increase in mental health disorders, depression and anxiety in particular," she said.
Kowal also mentioned that as well a tradition video games, virtual reality (VR) video games have great potential in treating mental health issues.
"These are well-suited for the implementation of cognitive behavioural techniques for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in the future. Given the immersive nature of VR technology and the controllability of the virtual environment, it could be particularly well-suited for use in exposure therapy," she said.
You may run the risk of looking like you're playing blind man's buff if someone walks in but sure isn't that a small price to pay to keep your mind and mental health in tip top shape?
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